current Exhibition
Material Moves: Revisiting Print and Paper through Han Sai Por, Goh Beng Kwan, Ong Kim Seng and Chua Ek Kay
16 August – 5 October
Han Sai Por, Tropical Impression, 2024, Acrylic paint, hand-molded paper pulp on STPI handmade paper, 125 x 194 x 5 cm. © Han Sai Por / STPI.
Photo courtesy of the artist and STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery, Singapore.
STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery presents Material Moves from 16 August – 5 October 2025, a group exhibition featuring four acclaimed Singaporean artists, Han Sai Por (b. 1943), Goh Beng Kwan (b. 1937), Ong Kim Seng (b. 1945) and Chua Ek Kay (1947 – 2008). Held on occasion of Singapore’s 60th year of independence (SG60), the exhibition celebrates the remarkable contributions of these artists – all of whom are Cultural Medallion recipients – in shaping the country’s art scene throughout their storied careers. Having collectively completed multiple residencies, Material Moves also recognises STPI’s longstanding role in nurturing Singapore’s great artistic talents.
Curated by Adele Tan, Senior Curator at National Gallery Singapore, Material Moves showcases 53 works on paper that depart from the artists’ more familiar practices in sculpture, collage, watercolour and ink respectively. Specially created for this exhibition in collaboration with STPI during their latest residencies in 2024, octogenarians Han, Goh and Ong will present brand new works inspired by their native Singapore but rendered in unexpected contexts. The late Chua’s artistic legacy will be honoured by presenting works from his 2003 and 2007 residencies at STPI, with the latter comprising some of the final pieces he produced before his untimely passing. These fresh directions undertaken by each artist embody the spirit of the SG60 celebrations, as a moment for embracing renewal and welcoming new possibilities.
“STPI is delighted to present Materials Moves in tandem with SG60, welcoming viewers to experience the groundbreaking experimentations of some of our very best homegrown artists. Since opening its doors in 2002, STPI has been committed to providing a unique infrastructure and resources for artists, facilitating innovation of their practice. This exhibition is a testament to how these pioneering Singapore artists, in collaboration with our Creative Workshop team, have pushed the boundaries of their artmaking to new heights through the mediums of print and paper.”
– Emi Eu, Executive Director of STPI
The works in Material Moves are united by a physical and conceptual ‘movement’ in the artists’ practices, sparked by material exploration and adaption. For Han, this takes the form of utilising her skills as a sculptor to create works using hand-moulded paper, relief intaglio collage and collagraphy – revisiting themes of nature and experimenting with colour to render Singapore’s vibrant native flowers. Also adopting new techniques using a vivid colour palette and abstract forms, Goh builds on his established oeuvre in collage to bring psychedelic tones, energetic strokes and textural effects of flocking to the exhibition.
Continuing the theme of material innovations, Ong uses mulberry bark ‘paper’ to paint luminous renderings of old or disappearing street scenes in Singapore, recovered from his own fond recollections. Finally, Chua’s selected works will demonstrate his transition from ink painting into lithography and woodcutting in his later years, and will be presented alongside two rare paintings by the artist from 1990, on loan from the National Collection of Singapore.
“By revisiting the act of printing and papermaking, these artists are stepping into unfamiliar territory that has the potential to either feel like a point of experimental liberation or an episode of crushing anxiety. Yet this motion of returning to the blank page has yielded something truly extraordinary for each artist, allowing us to witness something raw, unexpected and uniquely interesting,” said curator Adele Tan.
Material Moves, timed to this culturally significant moment in Singapore’s history, reaffirms STPI’s dedication to nurturing local printmaking practices and uplifting the art ecosystem, inviting visitors and collectors alike to immerse themselves in a journey that revers artistic excellence and innovation.
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