Life is Hard, using the medium of oil on board, is significant of Ng’s beginning as a painter under Georgette Chen’s guidance at NAFA. It provides insight into Ng’s aptitude as a painter, and is a pertinent example of his constant interest in the human figure, as well as the human tragedy, since an early age. This work is part of the National University of Singapore Museum Collection. Physical dimensions of original: 610 x 490 mm.
Surprised II is representative of Ng’s fascination with the flesh which borders on the obsessive. This aspect of Ng’s oeuvre is nevertheless not to be ignored as it contributes to the full spectrum of Ng’s relationship with the human figure as expressed in his art. This work (stoneware, slip, ciment...
Semi-representational, the work shows two figures locked in embrace in an upright position. Wee has produced numerous works expressing emotional and psychological conditions through abstract compositions. In this particular work, the figures are fused and suspended in an amorphous context, drawing greater attention to the materiality of their emotional state...
In this work, Wee relies on the deliberate placement of lines and coloured areas to attain a range of responses from viewers. Areas of colours are delineated on the picture surface with sharpness and clarity. His paint application is non-gestural and impersonal. The work demonstrates Wee’s preference for hard-edge painting...
River bumboats are a long-standing subject in Lim’s paintings of the Singapore River, their presence filling each picture with symbolic and historical meanings. Impressionistically handled, Lim employs warm and vibrant colours such as red and green rendered in bold strokes, successfully creating a dynamic and joyous feel to the en...
This work demonstrates Wee’s versatility in working across a number of art media and styles. The Great Sphinx of Giza is depicted in a cubist idiom. Three figures represented in the foreground accentuate the scale of the Sphinx. Using muted tones of brown, the work captures the distinct environment of...
While as a student, Yeo picks up on a focus experimenting with different materials, including metal, textile and paints, and exploring the possibilities offered by the realm of colours. Beach Scene is an abstracted and expansive landscape that contrasts with the previous more formal example. It expresses the energy and...
Completed during an art residency in Paris in 2000, the work demonstrates an impressionistic rendition of the famous River Seine in Paris, France. Hue and tonal contrast are handled competently using a limited colour palette. Lim captures the landmark cathedral Notre Dame de Paris in the background, a perennial subject...
Chng’s art and imagery often reflect her Asian roots. In the early 1980s, she became interested in the I-Ching (Book of Changes) – an ancient Chinese text that centers on the law of Yin and Yang, the idea of evolution of events and the acceptance of change – as a...
An example of Ng’s earliest attempts at the three-dimensional, Singapore Girl shows him under the initial influence of classical European sculpture. Ng focuses here on the drapery and the contrapposto of the figure, prior to his subsequent stylised handling of the human figure. Physical dimensions of original: 370 x 160...
Autumn warmth expresses Yeo’s lifelong fascination with nature, and more formal panoramic landscapes like this enable the artist to ‘escape’ from urban living. It takes him away from the confines of the city, enabling him to re-experience his travels. This work is part of the Singapore Art Museum Collection. Physical dimensions of...