Growing global demand for Singaporean artists' works, but more needs to be done to draw youngsters into sector

Cherie Lok & Fabian Koh, Channel News Asia, July 26, 2023
Living artists today are drawing more interest to their craft and fetching higher prices for their masterpieces, but art institutions say buyer demand alone is not enough to draw young artists into the industry.
 
Growing global demand for Singaporean artists' works, but more needs to be done to draw youngsters into sector
 
Demand for works by Singaporean artists is on the rise globally.
 

SINGAPORE: Demand for works by Singaporean artists is on the rise internationally, and not just for those by renowned 20th century pioneers such as Georgette Chen and Liu Kang.

 

The duo were among the pioneer generation of artists here who established the Nanyang style of painting.

 

Living artists today are also drawing more interest to their craft, and fetching higher prices for their masterpieces.

 

However, art institutions here told CNA that buyer demand is not enough to draw young artists into art careers, with a more robust landscape to cultivate and assess talent needed instead.

 

AN AUDIENCE ABROAD

Local artist Faris Heizer is one such artist whose work is gaining traction overseas.

 

The raw brushstrokes in his evocative pieces portray the nitty gritty of everyday life in Singapore, and have found their audience halfway across the world.

 

"I'm slowly, hopefully, penetrating through the American market,” the 25-year-old artist told CNA.

 

Mr Heizer will get the chance to court that market even further, when he launches his first solo exhibition in Los Angeles in November, which he sees as a milestone in reaching his ultimate goal.

 

"My goal probably is just showing overseas, and slowly getting a bit of recognition here and there,” he said.

 

“When I go overseas, I intend to learn a little bit more, and just sort of absorb some of the stuff that they do, and just try to improve as an artist."

 

Local artist Faris Heizer is one artist whose work is gaining traction overseas.

 

MORE INTEREST IN LOCAL ARTISTS

Local art galleries told CNA that works by Singaporean artists have been drawing much more interest recently.

 

Cuturi Gallery, which represents Mr Heizer, said demand for these works has grown by around 40 per cent in the past three years.

 

"There are a few reasons. Number one is, of course, the rise of Southeast Asian art. So Singapore as a key hub in this region, of course it would benefit from it,” said Ms Alison Choy, gallery manager of Cuturi Gallery.

 

“Secondly, is the growth in recognition of the artists and artworks. When you do a lot of fairs, exhibitions, locally and internationally, artists manage to gain their reputations and reach new audiences.”

 

There has also been great support for the sector from the government, through the National Art Council’s grants and funding schemes, Ms Choy added.

 

Boats and Shophouses by Georgette Chen. (Image: Sotheby's)

Local gallery Confluence Art Space said it is also seeing 30 per cent more enquiries compared to a year ago, with much of the interest coming from overseas buyers already familiar with Singapore's first-generation artists.

 

Works by Singaporean artists have also continued to perform well at art auctions across Asia.

 

According to auction house Christie's, works by Georgette Chen have set records two seasons in a row, while one of her paintings sold for over S$2 million (US$1,505,871) earlier this month at fine arts broker Sotheby’s.

 

Appreciation for other Nanyang artists is also growing, with a piece by Liu Kang going for a record price at a recent auction too.

 

Liu was a founding member of the Singapore Arts Society, with many of his works currently

on display at the National Gallery Singapore.

 

PURSUING FINE ART CAREERS

However, growing interest in Singaporean works does not quite inspire more young talent to pursue a career in fine art.

 

Art schools here told CNA it would take more than just demand from buyers to draw young artists into careers in the sector, such as having more robust ways to develop talent.

 

Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) senior lecturer Ye Shufang said: “There's always the underlying desire to improve your craft and to be better at what you do, to be a better painter or to be a better photographer. So there's always that drive that drives the student.

 

“And then after that, there is the criticality. Are my works critically analysed? Are my works included in some of the critical write-ups and critical essays by curators and historians?"

 

She added that it will still take time for the local fine arts scene to really flourish, but mindsets are slowly shifting.

 

LASALLE College of the Arts is one of two art schools that will form Singapore’s first government-supported private arts university.

 

NAFA and the LASALLE College of the Arts will come together to form Singapore’s first government-supported private arts university, the University of the Arts Singapore, welcoming its inaugural cohort in August next year.

 

At LASALLE College of the Arts, there is cautious optimism, as the school hopes the renewed appreciation for local works will convince people to see art as topical and relevant.

 

“We can share that over the past five years, we've graduated an average of 100 students per year from the McNally School of Fine Arts at LASALLE,” said Dr Venka Purushothaman, the school’s deputy president and provost.

 

He said the school has seen a steady increase in applications to full-time fine arts programmes over the years, along with “a much-pronounced increase in all our short courses in fine arts studies and art history amongst older adults”.

 

Students are concerned about the economic viability and the size of the market in Singapore, when deciding whether to pursue a career in the sector, Dr Purushothaman added.

 

“Today, parents and students alike are very positive about careers in the arts as the creative economy evolves,” he said, noting that there are more opportunities and funding, and training on other aspects such as how to manage contracts and finances as a freelancer.

 

“Students also have more access to mentorship from established artists and networks regionally and internationally, compared to just five or 10 years ago.”

 

 

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