Singapore Art Museums and Exhibitions

The Singapore Art Museum is a fine-looking art museum found in the vibrant downtown core of Singapore. Formed in 1963 as a substitute for the then-existing Gallery, this modern art museum is now known as the Singapore Art Museum. Formerly an exclusive Catholic church, it was the first fully dedicated modern visual arts museum in Singapore having one of the largest collections of local, Southeast and East Asian contemporary artists. It was established to facilitate the people of Singapore’s cultural development, especially of the foreign population which had largely emigrated to the country in the last decades. It is today run by the Singapore Development Fund (SDF), a public charity. Today the museum presents an impressive selection of contemporary art works from many countries and artists, including renowned Chinese contemporary artist Yin Hsu, Indian modern art seminar artist Sudhanshu Sutar, Taiwanese painter Huang Ting-yu and Japanese modern artist Takashi Mochizuki.

One of the important collections at the Singapore Art Museum are the installations by renowned British artist Sir Edwin Lutyens. One of the very famous ones is his take on Mount Kenya, a popular subject for mountaineering during the Second World War. Another famous British artist, Sir Michael Caine, who is popular for his movies such as A Matter of Life and World Without End, also has a permanent exhibition at the Singapore Art Museum. There are also several prominent South African contemporary artists including De Kock Segal and Joost van Meijen. One of the major attractions of the museum is its Hammerkhalen, or tower, a structure that is taller than the tallest buildings in Singapore, and home to a collection of antiques and weapons. Other significant collections include works by notable sculptor Peter Young, Rembrandt and Jan Vermeer.

Singapore art museums also have a gallery of Asian contemporary artists from various countries. A major part of the holdings includes the works of prominent Indian artists like Amrita Sher-Gil, Prem Chopra, Manish Malhotra and Ravi Verma. Japanese modern artist Kenzo Tomizawa has an exhibition at the Singapore Art Museum, which showcases his work from the early 1950s. Chinese contemporary artist Huang Qi, who is based in Singapore, has a gallery exhibiting his work. There are also showcases for work from prominent Moroccan artists, while organisations from Russia and the United Kingdom feature an exhibition on contemporary European artists.

Other important exhibitions include paintings and sculptures by Malaysian artist Datuk Lee, Chinese modern artist Zong Xian and Japanese modern artist Takashi Murakami. Malaysian artist Safi Mansoor is now internationally recognised and has a solo exhibition at the Singapore Art Museum. Thai artist Wai Thanon makes a special contribution to the line of contemporary art exhibitions at the Singapore Art Gallery. Also featuring Chinese and Indian contemporary artists, the gallery has a dedicated section on Indian art.

Art collectors and enthusiasts will be drawn to the Singapore Art Museum and the Singapore Art Gallery as they regularly display renowned paintings and sculptures by well-known artists from across the world. With Singapore becoming one of the most popular destinations for expats and tourists to draw towards, the popularity of these museums and art galleries in particular, cannot be underestimated. It is no wonder then that these museums continue to attract visitors from far and wide. They offer a treasure of culture and beauty to the people of Singapore.