In the mid-1960s, Singapore-born sculptor and printmaker Kim Lim — “female and foreign”, in her own words — appeared on British TV to discuss her painted-steel arch Day, first exhibited at London’s Battersea Park among masterpieces by some of the greatest 20th-century British art heavyweights such as Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Anthony Caro. The petite 30-year-old, prolific in stone, steel, paper and wood, spoke assertively: “For me, a piece of sculpture must have a presence, and I want it to be seen immediately as a whole.”
In more ways than one, this statement also applies to the anomalous talent, whose shape-shifting oeuvre politely cautioned those who might try to pigeonhole her. Lim grew up in wartime Melaka and Penang under the shadow of British colonialism and the Japanese occupation, before leaving for Britain at 17 to pursue an arts education at St Martins, and then The Slade. As an ethnic minority in London, the artist demonstrated that representation was more than gender or skin colour, insisting that her artistic practice be acknowledged in its entirety. In 1958, while attending a ceramics class taught by Helen Hatori, Lim met the authoritative Scottish sculptor-painter William Turnbull, whom she married two years later. The couple worked independently but in proximity, each occupying a studio near their home in Camden Square, where they raised their two sons, Alex and Johnny.
“Our mother had a wood-and-metal piece called Ronin (a samurai warrior wandering without a master) that subliminally evokes Japanese architecture and costume. Although she was traumatised by the war and had to watch my grandfather [Lim Koon Teck], a well-known barrister and magistrate in Penang, struggle under the Japanese, this memory didn’t colour her perceptions. Unfettered by prejudice, she was actually far more cosmopolitan than most people in the UK, as many had not travelled outside the country. She was trying to escape the rigid expectations of a woman from a good family in Singapore,” recalls Johnny.
The brothers, now musicians and custodians of their parents’ estates, were in town to host a private tour of Lim’s pivotal solo The Space Between. A Retrospective at the National Gallery Singapore. It served as a defining prelude to the 13th edition of Singapore Art Week (SAW) last month and raised the curtain on the country’s 60th anniversary celebration.
The 10-day visual extravaganza transformed the Lion City into a dynamic stage for creativity, collaboration and community engagement. Lim’s long-overdue homecoming, the largest survey of the émigré since she fell from view following her passing from breast cancer in 1997, sparked fevered excitement at the Sotheby’s auction days later — her Ronin assemblage fetched $168,000, setting an all-time sales record for the sculptor. Lim’s portfolio and profound contribution to abstract art, rightfully brought to centre stage alongside the heightened focus on Southeast Asian artists, ultimately shaped the narrative of the citywide SAW and landmark fair Art SG at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
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A quick gander at the current art scene reveals a fragmented market, exacerbated by factors such as geopolitical unrest that erode buyer confidence, with potential sellers holding onto their investments until economic conditions improve. The general lull in Asian buying has deterred people from parting with their money, leading to a slowdown in modern and contemporary auctions. This sentiment was echoed throughout the third edition of Art SG, which featured a trimmer list of 30 countries and 105 galleries, compared with last year’s 116. Curators agreed, however, that a shift was underway, with a renewed sense of optimism among both buyers and browsers.
“Singapore is really shaping up to be a serious market hub,” asserts the fair’s co-founder Magnus Renfrew. The cultural entrepreneur has over a decade of experience in the industry as the founding director of Art Hong Kong, which was subsequently reborn as Art Basel Hong Kong.
“An increase in art awareness, stimulated by a new generation of artists and collectors, contributes to the conversation and dynamism of the cultural scene in Southeast Asia, home to a population of 650 million. Yes, the number of exhibitors is slightly fewer than in previous years, perhaps due to delicate geoeconomic reasons [which are faced everywhere in the world], but we’d rather focus on maintaining quality and ensuring the galleries are fully able to utilise this platform,” he adds, hinting at the fair’s ambition to stake its claim as the premier hub for Singapore and the benchmark in the region.
Despite a dip in visitorship from 45,300 in 2024 to 41,000 this year, the considerably scaled but maturing annual event — though met with scepticism in past editions — still assembled a formidable roster of blue-chip international names such as Gagosian, White Cube, Thaddaeus Ropac, Lehmann Maupin, neugerriemschneider and Goodman Gallery. Art SG was developed across three sectors: Galleries, which offers diverse, multi-artist exhibitions; Focus, featuring galleries presenting solo or duo artist programmes and thematic presentations; and Futures, dedicated to supporting younger establishments under 10 years old.
Conservative institutions are coming to terms with the reality that attracting a broader, more diverse demographic is essential for their survival. And this impulse appeared to drive some of the most stimulating pieces crowding the exhibition walls.
Trust Art SG to make an arresting entrance and exit. Upon entry, Khairulddin Wahab’s The Lands Below the Winds stunned with a cascading trio of canvases that explored the paradoxical role of water as a life-giving force and harbinger of destruction, while underscoring the sea’s power as a conduit to the world beyond. As visitors departed, Miya Ando’s trance-like Moon Ensō drew them into its quiet orbit — almost inviting a last glance or a lingering moment — by capturing the poetry of the moon’s waxing and waning across 29 panels of printed silk chiffon. Fluttering gently in the breeze, the delicate fabric mirrored the ephemeral nature of time, evoking a sense of impermanence and liberation.
Antonio Santín’s hyper realistic depictions of ornamental rugs, in their often curious execution, clearly courted unusual scrutiny. A matter for more than just the eyes, the selection of oil paintings simulate an optical illusion that seemingly possesses multiple folds and hundreds of intricately embroidered floral details.
Elsewhere, Chiang Mai-based artist Mit Jai Inn encouraged passers-by to poke, prod and pry at the subtleties buried in the immediately visible via a series of tactile candy-bright canvases suspended mid-air, commissioned by UBS Art Collection.
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“We see painting not only as a narrative [on the surface] but also a way to understand how it is treated. To do that, we should not restrict ourselves to a specific setting — that, to me, is a self-imposed limitation,” contemplates the Thai artist, who is turning 70 soon, about dissolving the boundaries between art and everyday life. “I can’t wait to see the next step. Is it true that you can only have one life? Or can you go further in another dimension?”
The Singaporean contingent staged a grand showing, with David Chan leading the charge on the topic of nation-building as the island marks 60 years of independence. Standouts from his National Identity 4.0 series — among which is a portrait of Lee Hsien Loong preparing to step down as prime minister, thus marking the end of a family dynasty’s leadership — discussed the evolving perspectives of patriotism through humour and irony, social issues and contemporary behaviour. The artist ponders: “For the coming generation, what is Singapore-ness to them? If we are to avoid a typical social studies textbook reply, what would be considered an authentic response?”
Over at the Richard Koh Fine Art (RKFA) booth, Samuel Xun distilled much of his fascination with the childhood film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory into a vocabulary of shapes and forms. Sculptural confection, “symbols of decadence and appreciation meant to be selflessly given away or selfishly indulged alone”, are created from metallised lamé fabric, gilding leaf, interfacing and polyester stuffing. Tinsel ribbons, like the perfect bow on a gift, tie together Xun’s message — that childhood, much like a box of chocolates, can be sweet yet tinged with imperfection. So irresistible was their charm that they were swiftly snapped up, finding new homes among eager collectors.
“Returning to Art SG allows us to reconnect with old friends and foster new relationships. The fair is always filled with plenty of well-deserved buzz and this year is no exception. We saw a steady stream of collectors and institutional leaders at the booth, demonstrating the fair’s position as a meeting point for key players in the region. There’s also positive interest in our Singaporean artists like Ruben Pang, Samuel Xun and Hu Qiren,” says Koh, the eponymous founder of RKFA who is also presenting more than 50 works from his personal collection in Of Dreams and Contemplation: I am All but a Story at The Private Museum until March 9. Built upon the narrative of the first instalment in 2019 that emphasised monochromatic, abstract and landscape works, this sophomore outing unfolds his decades-long interaction with art and their makers.
What does he think about budding collectors who are acquiring with intention and intensity? “They are certainly more open-minded and also tend to appreciate artists they see as their contemporaries. Collectors are not just buying a work of art; they also want their collecting, no matter the scale, to be an expression of support — whether it is for younger artists, their local art scene, or a particular style or practice that they resonate with. On the flip side, seasoned hands are more considered and strategic in their acquisition process, mostly because they already have an existing collection. They will usually take a more discerning approach when it comes to adding a new work,” mentions the Malaysian veteran gallerist.
Having said that, Art SG delivered robust sales, with significant purchases by private collectors and institutions. Leading the topline was Pablo Picasso’s coloured pencil drawing Buste d’Homme à la pipe (1969), sold for US$1.2 million ($1.6 million) at Cardi Gallery; followed by Tunji Adeniyi-Jones’ Celestial Gathering (2024), for US$350,000 at White Cube; and Lee Bae’s Issu de feu K-20 (2003) for US$180,000 at Johyun Gallery. Lehmann Maupin scored a milestone as Kim Yun Shin’s Add Two Add One Divide Two Divide One 2023-6 (2023) was acquired for the Singapore Art Museum through the inaugural SAM Art SG Fund.
Investing in the Singaporean art market seems to be yielding substantial returns, as a 2024 UBS survey found that the country had the highest proportion of new collectors (42%). In addition, the majority of digital art acquisitions took place in 2023 and the first half of 2024. On a global scale, key findings from The Art Basel and the UBS Art Market Report indicated that total sales eased to an estimated US$65 billion, while the share of works by female artists reached a seven-year high, accounting for 44%, compared with their male counterparts.
The appetite for Southeast Asian art remains voracious, fuelled largely by artists who march in step with local reform movements, multiparty democracy and societal frameworks. For many, the urgency of painting their own stories and shaping discourse within their communities far outweighs the pursuit of earning the approbation of far-flung Western institutions. An artist’s role is not to reassure our ideals but to challenge and frustrate our subconscious expectations of conformity and comfort.
At the end of the day, Art SG, offering an avenue for risk and experimentation, provided a platform for all to engage in a meaningful cultural dialogue.
