ABOUTAUDIO TOURNEW ON DISPLAYEXPLORE THE EXHIBITIONPROGRAMMES AND PERSPECTIVESCREDITS
The DBS Singapore Gallery presents over 300 artworks from the National Collection to understand the history of Singapore art.
Despite being geographically small, Singapore's location in a vast archipelago shapes both its geopolitical outlook and cultural expressions. This exhibition explores how Singaporean artists have responded to their geographical and cultural contexts from the 19th century onwards. This period was heavily influenced by European colonial rule and the merging of varied cultural values with indigenous beliefs, sparking the advent of modern art in Southeast Asia. The phrase “Siapa Nama Kamu?” from a pivotal 1959 painting capturing Singapore's move towards self-governance, embodies these themes.
Featuring approximately 300 pieces from the National Collection and other sources, the exhibition showcases the nuanced ways artists have interpreted their surroundings and the complexities involved in recounting the art history of Singapore.
Siapa Nama Kamu? is then a question and an invitation—to consider how art can operate as a mirror to but also complicate our reality.
The DBS Singapore Gallery is made possible through a gift by DBS.
The DBS Singapore Gallery will be undergoing a revamp from April 2024 onwards in phases. At least one of the three galleries will be open at all times and all tours will continue as usual. The revamped DBS Singapore Gallery will fully reopen in July 2025 as a new, bigger, and bolder exhibition. Look forward to an expanded exhibition footprint with new presentation spaces, including a flexible project space that has been designed to accommodate smaller-scale changing exhibitions for Singapore-related research and content.
AUDIO TOUR
Explore the fascinating history of Singaporean artists and their works on this audio tour.
1. A Study of Three Thermos Flasks by Khairul Anwar Salleh
2. Artist and Model by Liu Kang
3. Don’t Give Money to the Arts by Tang Da Wu
4. Drummer by Liu Kang
5. Drying Salted Fish by Cheong Soo Pieng
6. Epiphany by Richard Walker
7. Journey of a Yellow Man No. 6 by Lee Wen
8. Life by the River by Liu Kang
9. National Language Class by Chua Mia Tee
10. Portrait of Lim Loh by Liu Kang
11. Self Portrait by Georgette Chen
12. Souri by Liu Kang
13. The Ferry by Chen Wen Hsi
NEW ON DISPLAY
John Turnbull Thomson
Singapore
1851. Oil on canvas, 57.3 x 88 cm. Collection of National Gallery Singapore. This acquisition was made possible with donations to the Art Adoption & Acquisition Programme.
Chen Wen Hsi (陈文希)
Returning from Market
1960s. Oil on canvas, 91.3 x 106.6 cm. Collection of National Gallery Singapore.
Lim Kwong Ling (林光霖)
Not Titled
c. 1970. Gelatin silver print, 50.7 x 40.6 cm. Gift of the artist and family. Collection of National Gallery Singapore.
Tan Choon Ghee (陈存义)
Elizabeth Walk, Singapore
1963. Ink and colour on paper, 33 x 35.5 cm. Gift of Madam Kam Hye Sin. Collection of National Gallery Singapore.
1996−1998. Silver gelatin prints on paper, series of 16, 120.3 x 94.8 cm. Collection of Singapore Art Museum.
Mohammad Din Mohammad
The Animal in You
2003. Wood, tiger skin and paint, 136 x 109 33.5 cm. Collection of Singapore Art Museum.
EXPLORE THE EXHIBITION
Gallery 1 (Tropical Tapestry, Nanyang Reverie) will be closed in April 2024 and reopen in December 2024.
Gallery 2 (Tradition Unfettered, Real Concerns, New Languages) will be closed in December 2024 and reopen in July 2025.
Gallery 3 (Shifting Grounds) will be closed in August 2024 and reopen in July 2025.
TROPICAL TAPESTRY
1880s - 1930s NANYANG REVERIE
1930s - 1970s TRADITION UNFETTERED
1940s - 1980s
REAL CONCERNS
1950s - 1970s NEW LANGUAGES
1960s - 1980s SHIFTING GROUNDS
1980s - Recent
To get a 360 tour around the DBS Singapore Gallery, check out our virtual gallery below!
PROGRAMMES AND PERSPECTIVES
Discover more about the artworks, artists, and other stories from Siapa Nama Kamu? in our specially curated selection of magazine articles, videos, and podcasts! Drawn from our regular In Gallery Talks, symposia and other events, the following links present a diverse range of engagements with the DBS Singapore Gallery.
ACCESS ADVISORY
National Gallery Singapore is committed to creating an inclusive experience for our diverse audiences. Click here for the Exhibition Access Advisory.
CREDITS
The DBS Singapore Gallery is made possible through a gift by DBS.
