Lifestyle News: Singapore's unique culture inspires Thai and Cambodian artists

via Khmer NZ

By Sharon See

Posted: 28 August 2010

SINGAPORE : An outsider's perspective can sometimes lead to new insights and this is what the work of two visiting artists from Thailand and Cambodia seems to show about Singapore.

Veasna Tith (left) and Vichaya Mukdamanee

To many foreigners, the Merlion is synonymous with Singapore. And what Thai artist Vichaya Mukdamanee found on his recent trip here was that Singaporeans perhaps think so too.

He said: "I bought 100 Merlion dolls in Little India, Chinatown, and I set them up in different locations in Singapore. The work is actually the situation when Singaporean people saw I was stacking them on the street, and I saw how they interact with the work.

"I see the Merlion as a symbol of Singaporeans, how people are walking along, following each other, doing something in the same direction, and throughout Singapore, people saw the Merlion and said, 'That is cute, that is like us.' Some people get the message, and it is really interesting."

He added: "I see Singaporean people as 'unity' - you guys think the same way, do the same thing, and approach the same goal, how to create changes in the country, so that is very interesting, how you guys are so different, but think in a similar concept."

Delighted, he documented his experience in works including paintings, videos and an installation.

Yet, all this came about through a stroke of serendipity.

Vichaya, and Cambodian artist Veasna Tith were here to research Thai and Cambodian art for the upcoming National Art Gallery.

But the sights and sounds that greeted them inspired them to create new art.

Veasna said: Many foreigners and also some Singaporeans say that Singapore does not have its own culture. But to me, I do not really agree with this.

"What I see, your basic, your traditional culture was Peranakan that mixed with Chinese and Malaysia. Because to my culture, Chinese and Malay is hard to mix together...It is unique of a country that you can combine a lot of people from different backgrounds, different religions, different cultures - they come and live together in peace."

Veasna set to work on a series of paintings that draw on elements of the Merlion, the Singapore flag and Singapore's various ethnic roots.

She observes that Singaporeans do not always see their rich culture, as the country seems to focus more on economic development, science and technology.

This is something she sees in Cambodia too, where bread and butter issues are key.

But she believes Singapore, through its National Art Gallery, could invigorate artists across Southeast Asia and, in so doing, kindle a collective appreciation of our cultures.

Meanwhile, through his attachment with the National Art Gallery, Vichaya felt deeply moved after visiting many different museums here.

He said: "The museums and the organising process here is really advanced and high quality. It is like you have the standard that the rest of the world can rely on, the conservation, and the idea of collecting the whole region into one.

"It is a very interesting idea, how to relate our own communities together. I think that impressed me a lot." - CNA/ms