Art
In Good Hands: The Calligraphy of Ustaz Syed Abdul Rahman Al Attas
The master calligrapher’s artworks not only adorn physical spaces but are also found in Malay print publications.
Singapore’s Pioneer Cartoonists
Many of the early cartoonists were ideologically motivated and their drawings aimed to bring about social and political change.
Memory, History, Art: Yip Yew Chong’s “I Paint my Singapore”
Yip Yew Chong’s 60-metre-long work, “I Paint my Singapore”, melds memories and research to produce stories about Singapore.
About the Painters: Seeking the Unnamed Artists Behind Diard and Duvaucel’s Natural History Drawings
Natural history drawings might seem clinical and cold, but an unlikely medium pulls back the curtains to find the humanity behind them.
French Impressions: 19th Century Natural History Drawings of Singapore and Southeast Asia
A little-known collection from 1818 to 1820 commissioned under the watch of two French naturalists sheds light on the early study of the region’s flora and fauna.
Making the Invisible Visible: Restoring the Statues of St Joseph’s Church on Victoria Street
Alvin Tan documents the painstaking process behind the restoration of the statues in St Joseph’s Church.
The Forgotten Murals of Paya Lebar Airport
Three large murals used to grace the walls of Paya Lebar Airport. Dahlia Shamsuddin has the inside story of how they came to be.
Chinese Graphic Artists in Pre-war Singapore
Advertising art began playing a bigger role in the economy after several talented graphic artists moved from China to Singapore from the 1920s onwards. Lee Chor Lin highlights their works.
A Banquet of Malayan Fruits: Botanical Art in the Melaka Straits
Who commissioned the Dumbarton Oaks collection of 70 drawings on local fruits?
Stamford Raffles and the Two French Naturalists
Danièle Weiler uncovers the work of two young French naturalists – Alfred Duvaucel and Pierre Médard Diard – who worked with Stamford Raffles between 1818 and 1820.
Malay Seals from Singapore
Malay seals of the 19th century hold important information, says Annabel Teh Gallop.
History Through Postcards
One postcard may not say much, but a collection of postcards can speak volumes. Stephanie Pee tells us what Postcard Impressions of Early 20th-century Singapore has to say.
Exploring an Artist’s Mind: The Tan Swie Hian Collection
What makes the difference between a good artist and a brilliant one? Goh Yu Mei delves into the books and artworks that have inspired a literary and artistic genius.
Georgette Chen: Artist Extraordinaire
Sara Siew examines the link between visual art and the written word through the fascinating story of Singaporean artist Georgette Chen.
Groundbreaking: The Origins of Contemporary Art in Singapore
1988 has been held as the watershed year in which Singapore’s contemporary art took root with the establishment of The Artists Village. Jeffrey Say debunks this view, asserting that the contemporary art movement began earlier.
Creative Collectives: Abdul Ghani Abdul Hamid and His Contemporaries
Nadia Ramli traces the history of the Malay art scene in early Singapore through a collection of art-related ephemera, catalogues and publications at the National Library.
Stamping History
Postage stamps are more than little squares of paper to be stuck on envelopes. Justin Zhuang discovers how stamps have helped forge Singapore’s identity over the past five decades.
Windows into History
Drawings discovered in a Belgian archive help fill gaps in the history of stained glass windows in Singapore. Yeo Kang Shua and Swati Chandgadkar reveal their findings.
The Tiger Within
These fanged beasts are by turns both captivating as they are terrifying. Patricia Bjaaland Welch explores the tiger motif in the art and literature of Asia.
Soft Hands But Steely Hearts: Women and Their Art
A coterie of women sculptors in Singapore has successfully redefined this once male-dominated art form. Nadia Arianna Bte Ramli tells you more.
悲悯人生: 陈瑞献的文艺创作 (The Works of Tan Swie Hian)
Tan Swie Hian, whose paintings have fetched record prices, was in fact better known for his literary prowess when he first emerged in the arts scene. Jessie Yak highlights some of his poems, short stories and fables.
Baring Mind and Soul – Tan Swie Han
After a long absence of 43 years, Singapore’s celebrated multi-hyphenate artist returns to the National Library with a new solo exhibition. Chung Sang Hong tells you more.
Sketches of Singapore
Doodlings and drawings of the cityscape by the community of artists who make up Singapore’s Urban Sketchers find expression in a new book.
