Now in its 21st year, the exhibition - being held in Singapore - presents works by 178 artists from 13 countries loosely based on the theme of globalisation. Although improved communication provide new opportunities for artists in Asia to exchange ideas, many attending the opening say face-to-face meetings remain the most productive.

'We tend to understand each other a little bit better after these shows,' says Eddie Lui, chairman of the Federation of Asian Artists in Hong Kong. 'You learn more than from just looking in art magazines. It's like going behind the paintings. It brings a closer connection among Asian artists.'

Choo Thiam Siew, president of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore, says the event 'serves as a common platform to study the influences of globalisation, clashes between the local and global, or fusion of the two'.

'Traditionally, much of the limelight has been placed on western contemporary art. Asian contemporary art has, arguably, been overshadowed, concealing some of its unique qualities.'

Artist Baet Yeok Kuan, president of the Modern Art Society, Singapore, says Asian artists are beginning to realise the importance of forging their own cultural tradition and identity. 'Today, more Asian artists are drawing inspiration from within their own cultural environment, folklore, textiles and ethnic handicrafts. What Asian artists are trying to do is to offset globalisation's overwhelming threat to indigenous cultures.'

Each member country of the AIAE selects a few works to be displayed. 'We tried to be as encompassing as possible by including younger artists along with more established ones,' says Lui. 'We've managed to have a cross-section, a composite of different styles and media, from ceramics to papier-mache, digital photography and ink on paper.'

Among the mostly abstract works on display are an ink on paper by Kan Tai-keung, a copper sculpture by Norman Ko, a mixed media by Enoch Cheung and stoneware by Rosanna Li.

The work from Hong Kong artists is shown in the same room as Macau artists, highlighting clear contrasts between the two groups. 'You can see how Macau has a stronger link than Hong Kong to mainland China and how this is reflected in the work of the artists,' says Lui. 'They use a lot of Chinese ideograms in their work, which are clearly defined. With us, the ink seems to flow more in, to blend with the rest of the work.'

The exhibition is being held in three venues: the Singapore Art Museum showcases artists from Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau; the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts gallery features artists from the mainland, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Mongolia; and epSITE presents new media by artists from Singapore, China, Thailand and Macau.

Overall trends are hard to discern, other than the suggestion of a move among Chinese ink artists away from traditional subjects towards more abstract representations. However, the exhibition demonstrates subtle differences between the countries.

'Indonesian artists tend to be more engaged and their social concerns are still clearly evident,' says Boo Sze Yang, a Singaporean artist and lecturer in fine art at the Nanyang Academy. 'They're using a very muted, dark palette, whereas Malaysian artists are very colourful, with the mix of modern and traditional culture also apparent.

'The work of Philippines artists is narrative, while Singaporean work is clean in appearance, which reflects the environment we're in. But you'll notice the work here is mainly about landscape, which is quite strange, given that we don't have much.'

South Korean artist Lee Na-kyung says she was surprised by the strong, traditional, architectural themes in the works of Singaporean artists - 'not something you would expect, given the very modern architecture here. I can also see from the work of Chinese artists how much things have evolved. Their work is very open and aggressive. They're trying to stay away as much as possible from traditional style. A lot of the subject matter is bold and direct.'

Although the AIAE aims to present work from each of its member countries, it is limited to art from member artists. 'It's representative of the kind of work done by artists associated with those associations, many of which were formed as early as the 1960s,' says Ahmad Mashadi, a curator at the Singapore Art Museum. 'As such, they're still influenced by the same ideas. I don't think this is representative of what's happening in Asia right now.'

21st Asian International Art Exhibition, Singapore, various locations. Ends Aug 20