A Singaporean artist said that he will not censor himself while painting even after one of his works was removed from an art exhibit outside of a Singaporean library.
The artist said he painted the work during the late 1980s while he was part of an art collective. It is unclear whether the work has been displayed before, but when it was a part of an art show by multiple artists in Singapore, the painting garnered criticism and outcry from the public. Concerned that the public space wasn’t the correct place to show the work, organizers removed it. The artist said he agreed with the move, though he personally saw nothing wrong with the painting. Fellow creatives have rallied around the artist, decrying the move to take down the painting, while the public continues to criticize the display of the artwork in the first place.
The painting in question featured what appears to be the back of a nude individual. no facial features are seen, and the body is painted in what appears to be pink watercolor. The figure is positioned astride a large green rooster, who is straining to escape, calling up at the sky. The artist called the work an abstract look at what people must go through when they have to give up their land for development. The artist collective where the painting was created was made from reclaimed farm land. The artist’s own studio had previously been a coop for chickens. As far as the nudity goes, the artist said that the nude figure is one of the most classic subjects in the creative world, and that there was no ill intent to offend viewers or to convey a controversial message. In that vein, the artist said he would continue with his creative process in spite of the vitriol he has been receiving. To him, he said that art is a way to continuously experiment with shape and color. He said he would continue to explore wherever art might take him.
Critics of the artwork said that it promotes values that go against those commonly held in Singapore, going so far as to accuse the artist of creating a painting that shows bestiality. Groups on Facebook went further, saying that the display space, outside of a library, is in a public walking area where many children pass by. To show such a scene to impressionable minds is reprehensible, they said, though supporters of the artist have continued to back up his statements of self-expression.
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To read more about the artist whose work was removed from the exhibition, go to https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/artist-behind-sketch-removed-from-esplanade-responds-to-criticism.