Marking its 10th anniversary and Singapore’s 60th year of independence, National Gallery Singapore presents the full opening of Singapore Stories: Pathways and Detours in Art, the first major rehang of the DBS Singapore Gallery since its inception in 2015, and a bold rethinking of how Singapore’s art history is told. Expanded in scope and reimagined across newly configured spaces on the entire second floor of the Gallery’s City Hall Wing, the new exhibition will present a layered, artist-centred narrative of Singapore’s history through art. Featuring over 400 artworks and artefacts, from iconic masterpieces to rarely seen works from the National Collection, it spotlights artists’ multi-faceted lives, practices, and perspectives to reveal how artistic life in Singapore has always been more expansive, porous, and deeply human than previously recognised in past exhibitions of art from Singapore.

“This exhibition speaks to who we are — not just as a cultural institution from Singapore, but as a society,” says Dr Eugene Tan, Chief Executive Officer and Director of National Gallery Singapore. “By presenting a more inclusive, nuanced, and multi-perspectival account of Singapore’s art, Singapore Stories affirms that art is not merely a mirror of progress, but a record of detours, negotiations, and deeply personal choices. It offers all visitors a richer way of understanding where we have been — and where we might be headed. In doing so, we continue to deepen public engagement with the nation’s art and broaden representation, ensuring that more Singaporeans can see themselves in our shared stories.”

The exhibition spans from the 19th century to the present day and embraces a thematic approach to art history while retaining a broad chronological arc. The first part, which opened in December 2024, traces the early expressions of artistic community and identity in Singapore, framed through pivotal historical moments up to the 1960s, such as colonialism and independence. Building on this foundation, the newly unveiled sections extend this narrative into the post-independence period, spotlighting the impact of rapid urban transformation, evolving cultural policies, and efforts at community-building. As artists responded to these shifts, they expanded their visual language by experimenting with different mediums, materials, and art forms, including installation, performance, and video. 

During Singapore’s transformative decades in the 1950s and 1960s, artists evolved their art practices to create works that responded to the world around them through modern expressions. Visitors can witness how artists made sense of the changes around them in the sections Expanding Horizons and Presence. Some artists like Cheong Soo Pieng, Khoo Sui Hoe, and Vincent M. Hoisington turned to semi-abstract forms, reinterpreting diverse cultural sources and the world around them to develop distinct artistic vocabularies. At the same time, portraiture and still life — which were core to the teaching at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts — remained central to artists like Georgette Chen, Ng Eng Teng, and Lim Mu Hue as a vital mode of expression.

Through sections Liberating Form and Colour and Vectors of the New, viewers will learn how artists, from Ho Ho Ying to Kim Lim and Eng Tow, advanced new ideas and perspectives on art in tandem with the international art world. They embraced the modernist ethos of ‘newness’, and experimented with form, colour, and everyday materials to expand the possibilities of their chosen mediums. Other artists like Kwan Shan Mei, Shamsuddin H. Akib, and Choy Weng Yang also ventured into other domains like graphic design, illustration, and cartoons. 

Body, Self and Other highlights the persistence of the human figure in art even as alternative art forms were on the rise in the 1990s. The section features works by Solamalay Namasivayam, who devoted his practice to the study and interpretation of the human figure, as well as artists like Amanda Heng, Ho Soon Yeen, and Susie Wong, who explored issues of identity, representation, and gender through the body.

As Singapore’s economy boomed in the 1980s, so did its cultural scene. Singapore Stories spotlights the independent ground-up initiatives and community-based practices in Coming Together for Art and A Space of their Own, introducing visitors to artists, art spaces, and arts collectives behind these events, such as Gilles Massot, The Artists Village and Plastique Kinetic Worms.

In the final section, Navigating the Interdisciplinary, the exhibition celebrates the growing potential of Singapore’s cultural landscape with greater exposure to literature and theatre in school and expansion of governmental infrastructure for the arts. The exhibition also features contemporary commissions that bridge the past and present, reviving earlier artistic concerns and reimagining them through today’s lens.  

When enjoyed in full, Singapore Stories illuminates the many pathways, detours, and networks through which Singapore’s art has taken shape over the past 200 years. It offers a more inclusive and textured representation of homegrown voices, from celebrated pioneers to lesser-known figures, including cross-disciplinary practitioners, artist-educators, and others historically underrepresented in art history.

“As a founding partner of National Gallery Singapore, we are proud to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the DBS Singapore Gallery and the launch of Singapore Stories. Singapore Stories captures the ever-evolving nature of our nation’s art history and reflects the rich cultural fabric that defines Singapore,” says Ms. Karen Ngui, Head, DBS Foundation and DBS Group Strategic Marketing and Communications. “DBS has been an integral part of Singapore’s story since 1968, when it was founded to drive the nation’s industrialisation — this makes the launch of Singapore Stories even more meaningful, as we commemorate milestones such as SG60 this year. Through exhibitions like these, we hope the DBS Singapore Gallery will spark a deeper sense of national pride and inspire more to appreciate Singapore’s artistic heritage.”

With new project spaces, Singapore Stories opens up fresh curatorial possibilities and provides more dynamic ways for audiences to engage with Singapore’s art. Among the additions is Dalam Singapore, a new series of small exhibitions in the annexe of DBS Singapore Gallery 3, which is designed to foster deeper engagement with Singapore’s art through innovative research, insightful curation, and engaging programming.

Exhibitions at Dalam Singapore will be periodically refreshed, offering focused explorations of specific artists or themes that give deeper insights into lesser-known figures and stories from Singapore’s art history. Its inaugural presentation, Tchang Ju Chi: Tireless Camel, marks the first exhibition in over five decades to showcase the rare works of this pioneering artist, offering a renewed exploration of his significance and contributions, and reintroduces him to audiences today

The Gallery has also taken this opportunity to imagine more future-forward ways for visitors to experience the artworks, exhibitions, and museum. As part of Singapore Stories, the Gallery introduces a new art commission currently in development with artist Amanda Heng. From August, Let’s Chat Further (2025) will be a series of livestreamed performances that see Heng hold virtual conversations with visitors via holographic technology. Over time, Let’s Chat Further (2025) evolves into an experience where visitors can engage in conversations with a fully AI-based persona based on the artist, Retired Singirl (2025-2030). 

“These commissions connect the questions of past generations of artists to the present, reminding us that our art history is alive, and deeply relevant to an evolving society,” says Dr. Seng Yu Jin, Project Director of Singapore Stories: Pathways and Detours in Art. “With Amanda’s new works, we are exploring different ways for the public to experience and participate in art. It invites visitors to engage directly with a live artwork powered by advanced technology — not just as observers but as collaborators. In doing so, we hope to open up deeper conversations about what art means to us today: What makes Singapore’s art history ours? What roles do artists play in reflecting and shaping the world around us? At its core, it is about creating a space where our art history can continue to grow, shaped by new perspectives, shared experiences, and the voices of the communities it speaks to.”

Photo Credit: National Gallery Singapore

Singapore Stories: Pathways and Detours in Art fully opens on 18th July 2025. A General Admission pass is required, and entry is free for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents. For more information, please visit https://www.nationalgallery.sg/SingaporeStories