A Question that Still Matters: Revisiting Siapa Nama Kamu? Art in Singapore since the 19th Century—Art, Identity and a Nation’s Story

When National Gallery Singapore opened its doors in 2015, its inaugural exhibition took its title from the Malay text in Chua Mia Tee’s 1959 painting, National Language Class, Siapa Nama Kamu?—Malay for “what is your name?”  More than a reference, the question set the tone for a show that explored how artists in Singapore responded to colonialism, modernism, nationalism and everyday life in Singapore and the region.

Siapa Nama Kamu? Art in Singapore since the 19^th Century featured 400 artworks, spanning the 19^th century to the present. Siapa Nama Kamu was more than a display of Singapore’s art history. The exhibition asked a larger question: how do we define ourselves through culture and expression? Each work contributed to an evolving narrative of what it means to be Singaporean, Southeast Asian and part of a broader global story.

This series of three retrospective videos revisits this landmark show, offering a thoughtful lens through which to appreciate the richness and complexity of Singapore’s art history and to consider how that story continues in the Gallery’s next chapter, Singapore Stories.