artcommune presents Passages: Scenes from the City, a compelling exhibition running from 5-16 July 2025 that traces how three generations of Singapore watercolourists have captured the rhythms, textures, and quiet beauty of everyday life — from bustling urban streets to serene settings.

As part of the exhibition, we’ll also be hosting a ticketed art talk titled Singapore Art Series: The Early Singapore Art Scene on Friday, 11 July, from 7-9.30pm. More details can be found below.

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This new exhibition at artcommune gallery features 30 artworks by three generations of Singapore watercolour artists, with works by Lim Cheng Hoe, Gog Sing Hooi, Chan Chang How, Hua Chai Yong, Tong Chin Sye, Leng Joon Wong, Low Puay Hua, Ong Kim Seng, Teo Seng Giap, Ho Sou Ping, and Tam Kwan Yuen. Dating from 1961 to 2024, these paintings trace the evolution of a rich and enduring tradition of watercolour painting in Singapore. 

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Watercolour is a medium defined by its immediacy, luminosity, and sensitivity to touch. Its fluidity leaves little room for error, often requiring artists to work with speed and decisiveness, while embracing the medium’s inherent unpredictability. Washes can bloom, edges can soften, and colours can mingle in ways that evoke movement, atmosphere, and emotion with lyrical subtlety.

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Passages: Scenes from the City surveys the diverse techniques and stylistic explorations of Singapore’s watercolourists - from the broad, transparent washes rooted in the British tradition to ochre-layered applications and inventive mixed-media treatments. The works offer a vivid glimpse into how Singapore watercolour artists meaningfully engage with the medium’s unique characteristics to reveal the rhythms, textures, and everyday beauty of urban landscapes.