Untold Stories: Four Singapore Artists’ Quest for Inspiration in Bali 1952
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Special Exhibition: 14 February - 3 August 2025
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Open daily, 10am - 9pm
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Level 10, Gallery, National Library Building
Discover the remarkable journey of four Singapore artists—Liu Kang, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi, and Cheong Soo Pieng—who travelled to Java and Bali in 1952 in search of new artistic perspectives.
Untold Stories brings to life the seven-week adventure that culminated in their iconic 1953 exhibition and left an enduring legacy in Singapore’s art history. See how they captured the essence of local life in works that continue to inspire today.
This exhibition includes mature content. Visitor discretion is advised.
Brochure and Exhibition Guide
Download the brochure and exhibition guide below:
Publications
Bali 1952: Through the Lens of Liu Kang:
With over 250 black-and-white photographs, fleshed out by Liu Kang’s private diary and letters, Bali 1952: Through the Lens of Liu Kang tells the story of an inspiring journey to Java and Bali that left a lasting legacy on Singapore’s art history. With an artist’s eye, Liu Kang focused his lens on landscapes, architecture and scenes of daily life that preserve a moment in time, and captured the dignity of individuals in portraits. The painterly photographs in this book are a time capsule of Indonesian history.
BiblioAsia:
In conjunction with the exhibition, articles about the four artists and their Bali trip will be published in the Apr-Jun 2025 issue of BiblioAsia, the National Library’s quarterly magazine on the history, culture and heritage of Singapore. These are:
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The Liu Kang Collection: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
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The Construction of Bali’s Mystique (Forthcoming)
Print copies of BiblioAsia are available at the National Library, National Archives of Singapore and all public libraries. The magazine can also be accessed online at https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/.
Blog Post:
What is it about Bali that so inspired four pioneering artists? Exhibition curators Yu Mei and Nadia uncover materials in the National Library’s collection that enrich the research done by co-curator Gretchen Liu.
Satellite Exhibition
Behind Every Painting
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10:00am - 9:00pm
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Level 1, Lobby, National Library Building
When you admire a painting, do you wonder about the subjects—who they were, where they were painted, and why the artist chose them?
Uncover the hidden stories behind four paintings by Singapore's pioneering artists, who journeyed to Java and Bali in 1952, in search of new expressions for their art.
Visitors can also pose against a backdrop of Mount Agung in Bali at our photo booth and see themselves transform into works of art!
Roving Exhibition
Painting the Everyday
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10:00am - 9:00pm
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Level 2, Tampines Regional Library | 14 February - 6 April 2025
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Level 1, Woodlands Regional Library | 7 April - 1 June 2025
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Level 1, Jurong Regional Library | 2 June - 20 July 2025
Step into a world where the ordinary becomes a work of art!
From bustling markets to feathered friends, discover how four Singapore artists transformed everyday experiences into vibrant masterpieces inspired by their 1952 trip to Java and Bali.
Try piecing together their experiences with our jigsaw puzzles and bring Bali to life with our colouring activity.
Private Tours
For enquiries on exhibition tours, please email visitnls@nlb.gov.sg.