National Gallery Singapore reveals untold legacy of Asian artists in modern art

SINGAPORE: A new display at the National Gallery Singapore is redrafting the narrative of contemporary art, not from the viewpoint of its renowned European masters, but through the audacious, boundary-crossing ideas of Asian artists who once walked the same Parisian avenues.

“City of Others”

According to Timeout’s latest update, City of Others: Asian Artists in Paris, 1920s–1940s opened on Apr 2, 2025, and runs every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., pulling back the drape on a fundamental yet unnoticed episode in art history. The exhibition highlights trail-blazing figures like Liu Kang, Foujita Tsuguharu, and Georgette Chen, whose artistic journeys carried them from Asia to Paris at the peak of the city’s experimental movement.

As opposed to blending with the creative environment of the time, these artists filled their works with an opulent and intense cultural heritage, defying Eurocentric standards and leaving a lasting mark on the French art scene. With over a hundred seldom-seen portraits, drawings, and archival materials, the exhibit reveals how their personal histories and the fusion of identities moulded their art, and, in turn, steered and impacted the development of modernism itself.

From Foujita’s mixture of Japanese ink methods with Western oil painting to Chen’s lyrical portrayals of ordinary life sifted through both Parisian light and Southeast Asian sentimentality, City of Others provides a fresh perspective on the contemporary art movement, one where foreign legacies, cross-cultural exchange, and identity unite.

It’s not just an art show—it’s a powerful reclamation of narrative. These were artists who didn’t fit in, but who ultimately transformed the spaces they entered.

Not just about art

Guests can explore this pioneering exhibition daily at the National Gallery Singapore, 1 St Andrew’s Rd, Singapore 178957, with opening hours from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and open from Apr 2 – Aug 17, 2025. For more information, visit the official event website: nationalgallery.sg

City of Others is not just about art; it’s about repossessing identity, space, and influence in a history that frequently reduces Asian artists to invisibility. This art display is a must-see for art enthusiasts, history fanatics, and anyone interested in narratives that defy the conventional.