This is a photograph of a tea pot made by Iskandar Jalil. It has the distinctive kendi-inspired spout and bears the trademark ‘Iskandar Blue’. The colour was inspired by Iskandar’s trip to Scandinavia where the visual and sensory resonance of the open sky is conveyed through a single colour. The tea-pot pays homage to the bonding experience in Asian tea rituals through the sharing of an object made by the potter with his guest. Physical dimensions of original: 390 x 290 x 270 mm. Medium: Terracotta & stoneware, manganese & barium glazes (fired at 1310 degrees Celsius) . Title devised by Library staff.
This photograph shows a cluster of pieces of pottery resembling lotus pods. These were inspired by the shape of lotus pods found in lotus ponds of Southeast Asia and Iskandar Jalil's observations at a ceramics factory in Surabaya. Iskandar Jalil usually recorded his extensive travel experiences in visual diaries and...
This is a photograph of a tile mural entitled "Mitravam" (Sanskrit for "friendship"). For this piece Iskandar Jalil used the symbol and metaphor of the lock and key to suggest that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) through its diplomatic work has unlocked many doors for Singapore. He researched and...
This is a headshot photograph of Iskandar Jalil (b. 1940, Singapore -). He is a highly-regarded local ceramist who uses fine clay to develop bowls and pots into art works, integrating Japanese and Islamic styles. He was awarded two Colombo Plan scholarships, to study textiles in India (1962) and ceramic...
Pot-Sculpture is an example of Ng’s constant capacity for humour in his work. Apart from its whimsicality, it reflects Ng’s fusion of the functional with beauty, as well as his training in ceramics and studio pottery. This work (stoneware, partly chun glazed)is part of the National University of Singapore Museum...
Song of Cicada is Chua’s most complex work on the use of symbolic space. The patches of ink represent drifting leaves in an expanse of empty space which serves as a space of imagination where the viewer is invited to imagine and envision experience from within the painting. Physical dimensions of...
This photograph shows a piece of sculpture resembling a boat which pays tribute to the famous boat-making history of Trengganu and the unmistakable design of the bangau which are elaborately carved wooden boats. Trengganu is a body of work that is more sculptural than functional unlike bowls or plates. It...
This is a photograph showing three ladies and a man at the OCBC Centre. They were among the many guests at the OCBC Centre Inauguration. Physical dimensions of original: 35 mm. Title devised by Library staff....
This photograph shows a padlocked wooden window, typically found in godowns. Sunlight illuminates the closed shutters and the wall around it. The window is fitted with four hinges to prevent it from flapping when opening. Physical dimensions of original: 35 mm. Title devised by Library staff....
A Wall of History is a mature development of Chua’s Singapore Street Scenes series. Here, Chua clearly articulates his relationship with the series: the façade is now a symbol inscribed by and with history in bearing the residual stains of time and neglect. Physical dimensions of original: 1930 x 2520 mm....
An acrylic painting on canvas, Aqueous Waves represents the transition in Poon’s work from a visual vocabulary made up of purely geometric forms to one of curved lines – subsequently referred to as “waves”. The emphasis on both chromatic harmony and the savant distribution of shapes and forms is distinctive...