Emerging talent will also shine, with artists like Lai Yu Tong showcasing works that reflect his keen observations of daily life through paintings, drawings and installation.
All art pieces displayed are also available for purchase, making it the go-to spot for both seasoned and budding art collectors to build up their personal collections.
Whether you are after a deeper understanding of South-east Asian art or an introduction to its diversity, don’t miss these highlights at S.E.A. Focus 2025.
Spark conversations over ‘meat sculptures’ and ‘dead animals’
Some of the year’s standout pieces challenge viewers with bold, thought-provoking themes.
Wong’s “Forest” installation suspends over 80 rice paper paintings in flesh-like tones over wooden structures, resembling a collection of meat and ribs at a butcher’s display. By merging bold Western abstraction with refined Eastern brushwork, Wong’s works evoke the nuanced dialogue between tradition and innovation that shapes the region’s art scene.
Equally powerful is Lai’s “Dead Animals (Domestic Scene)” installation. Geometric animal and insect sculptures, crafted from burnt wooden blocks, lie motionless on various household furniture. The exhibition serves as both a tribute to creatures that the artist once encountered and handled, now deceased, and as a stark reminder of the looming environmental catastrophes facing the planet.
See Singapore life in a new light
Think you’ve seen Singapore? Through the eyes of watercolour master Ong Kim Seng and emerging artist Shen Jiaqi, the nation’s iconic scenes and buildings are reimagined in two distinct and intriguing ways.
Ong’s meticulous brushwork and Impressionist-style depict familiar scenes like a bustling wet market and the tranquil beauty of Pulau Ubin at night in a dream-like manner. For the painting of the latter, Ong spent a few nights on the island to capture its peaceful charm.
Rising local artist Shen Jiaqi’s paintings of old shopping malls (right) explore Singapore’s culture of consumerism.PHOTOS: S.E.A. FOCUS, CUTURI GALLERY
Meanwhile, Shen’s series of paintings of old shopping malls is awash in soft, atmospheric hues that evoke a sense of nostalgia and memory. It is her way of highlighting how these strata malls reflect Singapore’s culture of consumerism.
Experience art in unexpected forms
Besides getting to immerse in the region’s rich artistic and cultural diversity, visitors to S.E.A. Focus can also expect artworks that push the boundaries of medium.
One such piece is “Veins, Grains, and Striae” by Yanyun Chen, commissioned by Bank of Singapore, Main Sponsor of S.E.A. Focus 2025. This charcoal drawing of a Tembusu tree, framed and mounted on Tembusu wood, explores themes of family values and intergenerational relationships. Its intricate details invite viewers to reflect on the resilience and strength that is required to build a person, a family or a nation – a poignant message for Singapore’s 60th year.
Then, look out for the intricately woven sculptures by local textile artist Tiffany Loy, who experiments with varying thread tension to create works that play with depth and texture.
Other highlights from the region include Thai contemporary artist Natee Utarit’s blend of fine art with pop culture, represented in the style of graphic novel and comic illustrations; Malaysian artist Adam Phong’s sculptures made of chicken bones that spark conversations on what our present-day capitalism could mean to future civilisations; as well as a body of photography paired with poetry works by Myanmar artist Maung Day and Singaporean artist Marc Nair.
