For it was an insightful and informative afternoon, where I had the opportunity to see artworks by South East Asian artists, and of Singaporean art in particular.
The National Gallery itself is a beautiful building. The old Supreme Court and City Hall buildings were painstakingly remodelled and a connecting building inserted between the two. It beautifully preserves the splendour of the old buildings whilst ensuring that they are fit for their new purpose.
I didn't really have the need or opportunity to visit the Supreme Court before (not being a lawyer nor a criminal) but I remember going to City Hall for my first job interview :-) The Public Service Commission (PSC) had its offices there and I have to admit that it was with some trepidation that I entered this imposing building to look for the interview room. Not much remains that I can see (not that I remember much) of these old PSC offices but visitors to the old Supreme Court building can still view the Chief Justice's Offices, and the old cells where prisoners were held when not required in court.
But back to the paintings. There are a few exhibitions going on at the National Gallery. I went to "Reframing Modernism", which was in conjunction with the Pompidou Centre and featured European artists including Matisse and Picasso alongside Singapore and Southeast Asian painters of the same era. But what I found more engrossing was "Siapa Nama Kamu - Art in Singapore since the 19th Century". Siapa Nama Kamu means "What is your name" in Malay, and hence this exhibition explores the Singapore identity through paintings. These paintings give an insight into Singapore over the years just as much as they reveal the painters' own artistic development over time. It was really interesting, for example, to see how Chen Wen His, well known for his "gibbons" paintings, painted in such vivid colours and in such "modern" styles!
It was also a great opportunity to view Georgette Chen's work - I hadn't seen many of her paintings till this visit. She is really Singapore's great "impressionist painter" and her paintings of lotuses really brought to my mind Monet's famous water lilies. By contrast, the quaint and vivid woodblock prints brought a smile to my face.
Best of all, the National Gallery helps you to bring your favourite paintings back with you! The "Social Table" (you can see it as you leave the exhibition) allows you to select paintings and put them all together in one big picture. Here's mine:
Here's to my next visit!
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