Raffles Place
Description
watercolour on paper
52 x 72 cm
Although the blue hues in the wash combined with the vibrancy of the foliage give the impression of contemporaneity, the direct view of the Asia Insurance Building (today the Ascott Raffles Place) standing as the tallest building in the scene unencumbered by other soaring skyscrapers reveals it as a snapshot of a long bygone era.
At the heart of the composition stands the public sculpture Struggle for Survival by Singaporean artist Aw Tee Hong, commissioned for the inauguration of Raffles Place MRT in 1988. Aw’s sculpture pays homage to the trials and tribulations of Singapore’s transition towards modernity, and Chew’s depiction of the sculpture points toward his interest in exploring the theme through watercolour.
The artist places the viewer at a tranquil distance from the thronging crowd pouring into the entrance of the MRT station, affording critical distance to observe this city in the process of becoming.
Provenance: Gift from a corporate collection to Singapore Philatelic Museum
To be sold to support Children’s Museum Singapore*
*Singapore Philatelic Museum became a dedicated children’s museum in December 2022
Echoes of the Past / Lot #2
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