National Art Gallery of Singapore - Collection and Display

Collection and Display

The National Art Gallery will focus on displaying Southeast Asian art from the 19th century to present day, including Singapore art. Through its collection, the Gallery will present the development of Singapore and regional cultures, so as to tell the story of their social, economic and political histories.

While the body of works at the National Art Gallery falls largely within the area of modern art, the Gallery strives towards understanding the collection in new and varied ways – taking on a contemporary approach and interpretation of the development of Southeast Asian art. The Gallery will look beyond national and regional boundaries of art, and take on a wider ambit of international visual arts culture, research into our Asian heritage and cultural affiliations, and engage with global cultures and discourses.

Singapore's National Collection started with an original bequest of 93 works made to the National Museum in 1976, by the well-known cinema magnate and art patron, Dato Loke Wan Tho. Through careful nurturing over the years, this collection has grown significantly to approximately 8,000 pieces in 2010. The National Heritage Board is presently the custodian of this collection, the world's largest public collection of modern and contemporary Southeast Asian art.

The collection's strength lies in its comprehensive representation of Singapore art and its unparalleled holdings of works by major Singaporean artists such as Georgette Chen, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng and Liu Kang. Through an active acquisition policy of purchases and donations, the collection now spans from early 20th century naturalistic paintings to contemporary video installations. The collection also holds significant pieces from Southeast Asian artists of international standing, such as Affandi (Indonesia), Latiff Mohidin (Malaysia), Le Pho (Vietnam), Montien Boonma (Thailand) and Fernando Cueto Amorsolo (Philippines). Apart from displays within Singapore, this collection has also travelled to international museums and exhibition venues in the Americas, Europe and Asia.