On the evening of July 12, 2025, in the cavernous yet quietly elegant space of Artspace @ Helutrans, Singapore’s arts community gathered to witness something rare: a deeply personal tribute to Singapore, expressed not through grand speeches or historical markers, but through the intimate, considered language of art.
Artist’s Proof: Singapore at 60 is the culmination of a quiet passion project years in the making, led by one of Singapore’s most respected collectors, Mr Chong Huai Seng, and curated by former museum director Mr Kwok Kian Chow.
Framed as a love letter to the city he calls home, this landmark exhibition showcases 95 artworks from Mr Chong’s private collection, bringing together more than 50 artists from different generations and practices. It is a portrait of Singapore seen through the eyes of artists: layered, poetic, sometimes questioning, often nostalgic, always deeply human.
At its heart is a rare bronze bust of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, created in 1982 by British sculptor Sydney Harpley. An artist’s proof in the truest sense, the work remained hidden from public view for decades in honour of Mr Lee’s own wishes. Now, in this moment of Singapore’s diamond jubilee, Mr Chong finally felt it was the right time to share it with the public.
“I made a promise to myself to do so at a future date that coincides with an important milestone for Singapore,” Mr Chong shared. “SG60 is that moment.”
During the opening, Mr Chong mentioned that the title of the exhibition, “Artist’s Proof,” symbolizes the first artist proof created by an artist. This reference goes beyond the art piece itself, suggesting that Singapore is a work in progress. The city is characterized by tentative lines and bold marks, reflecting a state of provisional completion. As curator Mr Kwok Kian Chow explains, “Singapore will perpetually be a work in progress, but SG60 is a moment of reflection.”
This sentiment runs through the entire show, structured around four narrative threads: Singapore’s cityscape and development, its art historical evolution, diaspora narratives, and the dynamic tension between politics and identity. It is a refreshingly non-linear take on history, one that embraces nuance and personal stories.
We see this in works like Darren Soh’s quiet yet emotionally loaded photographs of Golden Mile and Selegie House, landmarks of Mr Chong’s youth. “Selegie House is where I used to live with my grandmother while attending Raffles Institution,” he recalls. “Golden Mile is where I hung out with my best friend’s family most weekends.” That the collector himself appears in a commissioned portrait by Hilmi Johandi adds another layer of intimacy to the exhibition. It is not just about the nation. It is about a life lived in tandem with it.
Mr Chong’s journey as a collector began in the 1990s, first drawn to European art during business travels before being captivated by the works of Singaporean masters. Ceramic pots by Iskandar Jalil, watercolours by Siew Hock Meng, and oil paintings by Tan Choh Tee and Tay Boon Pin laid the early foundation of a collection that would grow to include leading contemporary voices like Dawn Ng, Hilmi Johandi, Kharulddin Wahab, Loi Cai Xiang and Ming Wong.
“Over the years, my personal collection has become almost like a diary to me,” Mr Chong shared. “Every piece holds a unique memory and story that I treasure.”
In an inspired move, The Culture Story commissioned 11 new works for this exhibition, curated in part by Charmaine Toh. These artists include Chow and Lin, Joel Seow, John Clang, Koh Cheng Jin, Loi Cai Xiang, Milenko Prvački, Ming Wong, Shavonne Wong, Sonny Liew, Yang Zhongda and Zulkhairi Zulkiflee. Each responded to the prompt: “What does Singapore or being Singaporean mean to you?” Their works bring urgent and diverse voices into the SG60 conversation.
Curator Mr Kwok Kian Chow’s relationship with Mr Chong goes back over two decades. “I first met Chong Huai Seng in 2004 in Beijing at the New Xieyi Ink Painting Symposium, which was held alongside the New Xieyi exhibition at the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC),” he shared. “His passion for contemporary ink painting extended well beyond simply sponsoring the exhibition.” At the time, Mr Chong was Singapore’s Business Representative in China and was deeply engaged in the cultural discourse.
The exhibition was just a germ of an idea in 2015 after Mr Chong had acquired the Harpley bust. Mr Chong and Ning began planning the exhibition proper about two years ago, in 2023. They approached Mr Kwok Kian Chow in March 2024 to curate the exhibition. “After reviewing the preliminary artwork list, I found it an easy decision to accept the role,” Mr Kwok recalls. That list eventually doubled in size, especially with the inclusion of newly commissioned pieces. “With each new addition, particularly the commissioned works, my decision to participate became even more compelling.”
One such work is I’m Worth My Bread by the artist duo Chow and Lin. “We first discussed the concept back in Beijing,” said Mr Kwok. “It became clear that this should be the first work to open the exhibition, given how closely it aligned with the curatorial theme.” Guests entering the space are immediately greeted by this towering three-part installation, a sculpture that stands over three metres tall and uses familiar food products to explore themes of GDP, consumption, and self-worth.
The inclusion of works by the late Chng Seok Tin stands out as a moving tribute. A prolific artist and educator, Chng lost much of her sight in a tragic accident in 1988, yet continued creating with powerful resilience. Mr Chong describes her works Endlessness and Untitled as “masterpieces,” and compares her gestural abstraction to the emotive scribbles of Cy Twombly.
Mr Kwok’s curatorial hand ensures the exhibition never veers into sentimentality. Instead, he anchors it within Singapore’s broader visual history. Whether referencing the Nanyang Style or contemporary diasporic expressions, he invites viewers to consider the multiplicity of Singapore’s cultural narratives. As he notes, “This exhibition integrates both modern and contemporary art, even questioning the binary altogether.”
Walking through Artist’s Proof, one senses how deeply personal and yet quietly radical this exhibition is. It is neither a greatest-hits retrospective nor a formal state narrative. Instead, it is something rarer: a collector’s meditation on place, memory and time.
“In ten years’ time,” Mr Chong muses, “I hope to see a new, younger collector present an Artist’s Proof: Singapore at 70. We’d be happy to license the name. I’d be most willing to advise.”
That gesture, of handing the baton, of hoping for continuity while leaving room for reinvention, might just be the most Singaporean sentiment of all.
The event was graced by Guest of Honour Professor Tommy Koh, a stalwart in Singapore’s arts development who was the founding Chairman of the National Arts Council in 1991 and has continued to play an instrumental role in supporting and cultivating the local arts ecosystem.
Among the many highlights of the exhibition is a quietly powerful sculpture by Han Sai Por, now in her 80s. I am always amazed that such a petite and soft-spoken woman possesses the immense strength and patience to carve monumental forms from stone. Her contribution to Artist’s Proof is no exception: grounded, resolute, and poetic.
Suzann Victor’s work also drew me in. Known for her hauntingly elegant and visceral expressions of identity and displacement, her piece in Artist’s Proof felt like a whisper and a wound at once: quietly intense, with a lingering presence that follows you out of the gallery.
This exhibition encapsulates the growth of Singapore’s art history. Though it may not present a full chronology of the Nanyang movement, it offers a textured view of how our modern and contemporary art scenes have taken root and flourished. With the depth of talent on display, the future of Singapore art looks rich with possibility.
As Singapore moves beyond its 60th year, Artist’s Proof reminds us of the stories we carry and the stories still being written. In the works of both seasoned masters and bold young voices, we see a nation continuously shaping and reshaping itself. With every new generation of artists, curators and collectors, the conversation grows richer.
Perhaps the most hopeful takeaway is this: art in Singapore is not just surviving — it is thriving, nurtured by those who believe in this city, who call it home, and who continue to leave their imprint on its evolving story.
Exhibition Details:
● Dates: 13 July – 17 August 2025
● Time: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily
● Venue: Artspace @ Helutrans, 39 Keppel Road, Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065
● Admission: Free
For deeper insights and a candid discussion with Mr Chong Huai Seng and Mr Kwok Kian Chow, read the full interview in In Conversation: Collector & Curator.
