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National Library Reference Guides

Art X Stacks

Explore this Resource Guide to discover books, articles, and special collections linked to the "Art X Stacks" display at the National Library's Lee Kong Chian Reference Library.

Last updated 7 July 2026

Art X Stacks is a display of artworks and resources in the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library (LKCRL) Levels 8, 9 and 11 reading rooms. A key feature of this display is the convergence of artwork, library, and archival collections, where the visual arts provide new perspectives and entry points into the collections of the National Library (NL) and the National Archives of Singapore (NAS).

Beyond what is highlighted in the reading room displays, this complementary Resource Guide provides an extended selection of related resources from our collections. Corresponding to the Art X Stacks themes, each section in this Resource Guide includes a list of books1, BiblioAsia2 and Infopedia3 articles. In addition, we shine the spotlight on different special collections in each section to give you a flavour of the diversity of materials in our holdings. We hope that this variety of resources will prompt new ways of understanding Singapore history and culture.

People in colorful clothing at a vibrant flower market with umbrellas overhead.

Flower Market. Gouache. Earl Lu. 1999.

Nature

Explore how artists depict nature through paintings, land art, and photography. Browse books, articles, and collections on nature in the visual arts.

Communities

Explore books, articles, oral history interviews, and more that shed light on how Singapore's diverse communities lived, worked, and shaped the nation's history.

Places

Explore books, articles, maps, photographs, and recordings about the history of the Singapore River, Chinatown, and the former National Stadium, tied to the artworks on Level 11 of the library.

1 All books highlighted in this Resource Guide are available at the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library. 

2 BiblioAsia is a free quarterly publication produced by the NLB. It features articles on the history, culture and heritage of Singapore within the larger Asian context, and has a strong focus on the collections and services of the National Library. 

3 Infopedia is an electronic encyclopaedia on Singapore published by the NLB. It holds a collection of articles on Singapore and covers a wide range of topics, including but not limited to historical events, arts, culture, economy, government and key personalities. The articles are written for the general reader with each article providing an overview of topic.