City respite of history, art, animals and a soothing bath

Local artists at Emily Hill. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Opened on November 24, 2015, the gallery contains the world's largest public collection of Singaporean and Southeast Asian art. That is more than 8,000 pieces of artwork. It represents the latest effort by the Government to present the country as a place where art can take root and grow.

"The greatness of all great countries and cities resides, at least in part, in their ability to foster art, and to leave the world with a lasting artistic legacy," said Dr Liu Thai Ker, world-renowned architect-city planner known today as ""the father of Singapore's urban landscaping". Liu, who once served as head of the country's Housing Development Board and Urban Redevelopment Authority, attributes his keen sense of art, which he has applied to all areas of his work, to the influence of his late father, a local pioneer painter.

Speaking of local artists, one place to meet them is at Emily Hill, 11 Upper Wilkie Road. Originally a Jewish housing, the 130-year-old building, now on the conservation list, houses about 18 art groups by itself and its surrounding courtyard. One prominent figure is Sun Yu-Li, an artist who came to Singapore from Taiwan 35 years ago. Calling the culture his personally embodies "the duckweed culture", and Sun traced a lot of what he has done artistically to the mental and physical condition of an immigrant.

However, over the past few years Sun has gradually shifted his focus from self-expression to, in his own words, "helping others to express themselves". "Community arts－that's how we describe it," he has said. "We reach out to the wider communities, especially underprivileged people, including mentally and physically challenged members of the society."

In doing so, he and other participating artists have teamed up with Allan Lim, entrepreneur and founder of The Living! Project, which is dedicated to promoting community art by encouraging people to make art using recycled material.

"We worked with children and adults with autism in Singapore, Hong Kong and Lyon, France," Lim said. "In Hong Kong and Lyon we made The Wishing Tree with plastic bags. Tens of thousands of people came within days to view the display, make a wish and be impressed by the beauty of minds and hearts."

Their next stop will be Shanghai, where Singaporean artists will join their Shanghai counterparts for a celebration of art with a social mission.

Location: The National Gallery of Singapore, 1 Saint Andrew's Road