Singart, at Forum Art Gallery presents a cross-cultural dialogue between India and Singapore — two regions that are deeply connected through history, migration, and language. Organised as part of Singa60, by Hindu Tamil Thisai in collaboration with The Hindu and Business Line, the exhibition explores themes of identity, memory, and urban life through artists based in Singapore, especially since a deep, pre-dated bond exists between Singaporeans and Tamil people.
“The Singart exhibition in Chennai is a meaningful platform curated by The Hindu Group that is a fitting tribute to the 60th anniversary celebrations of bilateral relations between Singapore and India. Art is a powerful bridge between societies and transcends the boundaries of nationality, ethnicity, and religion. The bond between Singapore and Tamil Nadu is deeply rooted in history, culture, and kinship. The Tamil diaspora continue to serve as a vital bridge between our societies, strengthening cultural and familial bonds across generations,” says Vaishnavi Vasudevan, Consul at the Singapore Consulate in Chennai.
Nostalgia
Baby Apollo, by Kumari Nahappan.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Take for instance artist Kumari Nahappan’s work. Born in Klang, Malaysia, she is recognised for her interdisciplinary practice that weaves together sculpture, painting, and installation with cultural narratives rooted in her Hindu upbringing.
“For the exhibition, Delicately Grand, brings together a series of sculptures created as maquette’s for the iconic works. These include chili peppers, nutmeg, apples, and saga seeds. Inspired by the natural world every sculpture narrates a story to its site, it connects history, and its context to the economy, in a simple manner to the spectator,” says Nahappan.
Tissue seller by Aryan Arora
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Another artist, Aryan Arora, moved to Singapore eight years ago, and since then, he has been documenting the city’s transformation. Aryan has travelled around Singapore, capturing moments that may seem mundane, but which reveal the heart of Singapore. Whether it’s people working, waiting in line, or simply going about their routines.
“When I came here, I started noticing the things happening around me, and all the paintings are about that. I named this series Singapore’s Petrichor, where petrichor is the pleasant smell of the first rain hitting the sand; it’s a nostalgic smell for all of us. The whole idea was that when someone looks at my works, there is a sense of nostalgia,” says Aryan.
His paintings reflect these faceless everyday figures wrapped in latex-like material, embodying anonymity and the often-overlooked roles people play. “Most of my works have a monochrome palette. When I see these people, they are all wearing different masks, depending on the role they are playing, be it of a colleague, friend or lover…I can not put a face to them, hence the use of black and white.”
Sunset salsa by Kavita Issar Batra.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Fragments of nature
Nature has also been a pertinent theme this exhibition. Kavita Issar Batra, a Singaporean artist, has been drawing inspiration from the unnoticed, often discarded fragments of nature and urban life encountered daily. Two of her exhibits, The Sun Worshippers and Sunset Salsa, celebrate the abundant, varied, and colourful flora of both India and Singapore. “These two paintings celebrate this wonderful world around us that I see not just in the trees and the plants that are still standing, but also in small scattered details, like the fallen frangipani blossoms on the streets…the frangipani comes in a lot of my work, it also symbolises inter-connectedness of all living beings within the cosmos. Even in Indian traditional miniature paintings, you can spot those little white flowers quietly in the background,” says Kavita.
Couplet II of Ode to the Urban Indian Footpath is part of another series Kavita created in response to the distinctive tile shapes seen on footpaths and driveways throughout India and beyond. “You see these people living their lives on these pavements. They may be mending shoes or selling chai. In India, the footpath is more than just somewhere that you can be safe from the traffic, which is what they are in Singapore. Interestingly, however that these footpaths and the sidewalks everywhere are a canvas on which the organic and urban litter ‘paint’ compositions when they fall. These things that fall on them are often ignored and swept away, and very often the people living on these footpaths are also ignored and swept away from people’s minds,” says Kavita.
Reasons to live, sculpture by P Gnana.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Based out of Singapore, painter, sculptor, P Gnana’s sculptures explore the theme of relationships connecting the city’s Tamil heritage to his artistic expression. For the exhibition, Gnana has showcased portrayals of mother and child, husband and wife, and also lovers, through his sculptures.
Singart is on till August 31, at the Forum Art Gallery, Chennai, as part of Singa60. Organised by Hindu Tamil Thisai in collaboration with The Hindu and Business Line, Singa60 offers a rich tapestry of events showcasing vibrant partnerships between India and Singapore through a curated programme centred on Commerce, Culture, and Cuisine.
Published – August 26, 2025 12:57 pm IST
