Maya Gallery presents Singapura Chantek: 5 Decades of Painting Singapore, a solo exhibition by Idris Ali, whose chosen medium has made him stand out from his peers within the Malay community. His watercolour paintings from the 1960s right up to 2013 portray an artist whose dedication is both unquestionable and admirable.

Singapura Chantek, which translates to Beautiful Singapore is a reference to the genre of paintings around Southeast Asia that depicts the idyllic landscapes of a particular country. The exhibition will showcase Idris Ali’s 30 paintings in watercolour that capture Singapore’s evolving landscapes from pre-independence years to the new millennium. Idris’ works for the past five decades could be seen as a critique of urbanism in Singapore. More importantly, they serve as visual records of past landscapes, diaries from a long-forgotten drawer in Singapore’s art narrative.

Image: © Idris Ali, Maya Gallery