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National Library Reference Guides

Untold Stories: Four Singapore Artists' Quest for Inspiration in Bali 1952

Explore the references, research materials, and archival sources used in developing the exhibition, Untold Stories: Four Singapore Artists’ Quest for Inspiration in Bali 1952.

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Last updated 13 July 2026

Introduction

This resource guide brings together the references, research materials, and archival sources used in developing the exhibition, Untold Stories: Four Singapore Artists’ Quest for Inspiration in Bali 1952 (opens in new tab). The materials featured offer a deeper look into the artists’ journey that led to a landmark exhibition in 1953 in Singapore’s art history and the historical context surrounding it. In conjunction with the exhibition, NLB and World Scientific have published the book Bali 1952: Through the Lens of Liu Kang (opens in new tab) by Gretchen Liu, one of the curators of this exhibition.

Prologue

Many recognise Liu Kang’s Artist and Model (opens in new tab) (1954) as depicting a Balinese scene from the 1952 artists’ trip to Bali, Indonesia. However, later research reveals that it was based on sketches of Chen Wen Hsi in Tretes, Java, just before reaching Bali. The seven-week journey, undertaken by four pioneering artists Liu Kang (opens in new tab), Chen Chong Swee (opens in new tab), Chen Wen Hsi (opens in new tab), and Cheong Soo Pieng (opens in new tab), spanned Jakarta to Bali and culminated in a landmark 1953 exhibition in Singapore. Despite the trip’s significance in Singapore’s art history, few details were known about it—until Liu Kang’s family uncovered over 1,000 photographs from the trip.

Though differing in temperament and artistic style, the artists shared a formative education at Shanghai’s Xinhua Art Academy. Their bond deepened in 1950s Singapore, culminating in a 1951 group exhibition that showcased 89 works and set record sales, cementing their collective presence in the local art scene. Their first joint exhibition drew strong public interest and record sales. Hailed as a milestone for Singapore art, it showcased Chinese artists' high standards and their role in shaping a distinct Malayan art through bold experimentation and new stylistic approaches.

Books

Newspaper Articles

Ephemeral Materials

Journal and Periodical Articles

Websites

Chapter 1

Bali’s image as a paradise was shaped by colonial narratives, tourism promotion, and the Western gaze. In the early 20th century, new travel technologies made Bali more accessible, prompting the Dutch to invest in infrastructure and market the island as exotic and unspoiled. Artists, writers, and filmmakers in the 1930s further romanticised Bali through idealised portrayals. In Singapore, European artworks featuring Balinese scenes drew public acclaim. After Indonesia’s independence in 1949, tourism efforts continued, highlighting Bali’s Hindu identity within a Muslim-majority nation. These layered portrayals—exotic, spiritual, and picturesque—fascinated artists in Singapore, who were drawn to Bali’s cultural richness and visual beauty, adding to its allure as an artistic destination.

Books

Newspaper Articles and Magazines

Ephemeral Materials

Journal and Periodical Articles

Websites

Audio-visual Materials

Chapter 2

It is not surprising that the four artists were yearning for a new source of creative inspiration in the early 1950s and Bali, where art and life are inextricably enmeshed, had long been seductively in the background. The story of the seven-week trip emerges as an adventure shaped by serendipity, spontaneity and the kindness of strangers. While the ultimate destination of Bali was fixed, travel arrangements were improvised as they went along. In Java, where they visited Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya, they tapped into a network of old friends, clansmen, relatives and acquaintances who arranged accommodation, advised on practical arrangements, provided transport and organised sightseeing activities. 

Books

  • Phua, Chay Long 潘醒农. Dongnanya mingsheng 东南亚名胜 (opens in new tab) [Celebrated Places of S. E. Asia.] Singapore 新加坡: Nandao Chubanshe 南岛出版社, 1954. (Call no. RCLOS 959 PCL-[LK])

Newspaper Articles

Journal and Periodical Articles

Other Print Formats

Audio-visual Materials

Chapter 3

Leaving behind the familiar and embarking on a journey opens up new avenues of artistic expression. The culmination of their seven-week journey through Java and Bali was an art exhibition held in Singapore in November 1953 at the British Council. From the drawings and sketches amassed during the trip, the artists spent 15 months to produce paintings for the exhibition. Each artist interpreted the landscapes, people, daily activities and cultural practices in his own preferred medium and unique style. The exhibition attracted many visitors and received critical acclaim. Art collectors responded enthusiastically, acquiring the artists’ works for their collections. The idea of an exhibition based on a sketching trip abroad inspired others in the artistic community to organise such ventures. As the study of Singapore’s postwar art history deepened from the 1980s onwards, the 1953 exhibition came to be regarded as a major milestone.

Books

Newspaper Articles

Journal and Periodical Articles

Audio-visual Materials

Selected Publications Featuring Artworks Inspired by the Trip to Bali in 1952