Arts

Who were the patrons of Nanyang art?

Nanyang art is generally associated with a category of artworks created in the early to mid-20th century by Chinese migrant artists in their new-found home of Singapore. A group of Western-educated individuals were their strongest and most vocal champions, referring to their work as “Malayan art”, rather than “Nanyang art”, at a time when Singapore was heading towards independence from the British. Low Sze Wee, group director (museums) of the National Heritage Board tells us more.

Low Sze Wee

09 Oct 2026

15th Shanghai Biennale: Does the flower hear the bee?

In an increasingly AI-centred world, this year’s edition of the Shanghai Biennale themed “Does the Flower Hear the Bee?” asks timely questions in inviting visitors to think about engaging different forms of intelligence beyond ourselves. Curator and writer Tan Hwee Koon walks us through the exhibition.

Tan Hwee Koon

11 Sep 2026

Why city living starves the soul: I left Taipei to find the earth again

Chishang in Taitung county brought Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun back to the land. After decades of urban life, he rediscovers dawn, dusk and the seasons — and reflects on how reconnecting with the land might help us recover something we have lost.

Chiang Hsun

04 Sep 2026

[Video] China’s robots are getting faster, stronger and more human

The second World Humanoid Robot Games saw humanoids breaking human running records and executing complex dance moves and precise hand tasks. What a difference a year makes. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina finds out more.

Yi Jina

28 Aug 2026

[Big read] Inside China’s arts exam shadow market

Behind China’s arts entrance exams lies a costly world of influence and opaque deals, where talent alone rarely secures a place. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Qi Lu speaks to those who have lived through such experiences, and to academics who explain how the system works.

Qi Lu

23 Jun 2026

France’s new law: Can China get back its looted treasures?

France’s landmark 2026 legal reform has breathed new life into global art repatriation. For China, whose looted Old Summer Palace treasures remain in French collections, the implications could be significant. Lawyer Ryan Su examines the challenges in a field where emotions and patriotism run high.

Ryan Su

09 Jun 2026

Is Ai Weiwei a figure of the past?

By embodying recognisable themes of political dissent, ideological trauma and cultural memory, early Chinese contemporary artists like Ai Weiwei acted as interfaces that helped the West understand China. But the milieu has changed, requiring new-gen artists to reexamine their identity and their art. Lianhe Zaobao visual journalist Fio Zhang gives her take on the issue.

Fio Zhang

29 May 2026

Midas touch of Lin Xiang Xiong: Mining gold with one hand, creating art with the other

From scavenging for food in China to helming a gold mining empire in Malaysia, Lin Xiang Xiong’s life is a masterclass in resilience. The gold miner-cum-artist speaks with Lianhe Zaobao senior correspondent Chew Boon Leong about how his accidental foray into gold mining has fuelled his true calling: a global crusade for peace through art.

Chew Boon Leong

28 May 2026

[Video] Living in the moment: Two Singaporean artists finding home in Jingdezhen

In Jingdezhen, China’s porcelain capital, Singaporean ceramists Ken Lu and Nelson Lim have each found their own mecca — a place for Ken to put down roots, and for Nelson to continually return to. Living in the Moment, produced by Lu Lingming and Yi Jina, is ThinkChina’s first documentary film. It explores how the city reshapes Ken and Nelson’s identities as Chinese Singaporeans, while tracing their lifelong pursuit of art and craft.

Lu Lingming, Yi Jina

22 May 2026

Timeless treasures: How wuxia captured generations on print and screen

From rare, handwritten manuscripts surviving only in Singapore to the multibillion-view world of modern xianxia, wuxia remains a cultural powerhouse. Lianhe Zaobao senior correspondent Lim Fong Wei gives us a glimpse of a special exhibition from this year’s City Reading @ SG festival, tracing how these legendary martial arts tales evolved from newspaper serials into global screen phenomena.

Lim Fong Wei

30 Apr 2026

Lin Tianmiao: Making art through sickness, life and play

Chinese artist Lin Tianmiao’s ​artistic career began later in life, after she became a wife and mother. Her inspiration for artmaking comes from everyday life and objects, her experience as a daughter, wife and mother, and her ability to see the bright side amid major life and death encounters. For her, transforming the mundane into the sublime helps make “play” never end. Curator and writer Tan Hwee Koon takes us through Lin’s recent exhibition “Lin Tianmiao: There’s No Fun in It!” at the Power Station of Art (PSA) Shanghai.

Tan Hwee Koon

13 Mar 2026

[Photos] My serendipitous bond with Japanese photographer Koichi Saito

With the aid of rare photos, historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao reflects on his chance encounter with celebrated Japanese photographer Koichi Saito, against the backdrop of a decades-long personal journey in historical photography and publishing.

Hsu Chung-mao

06 Mar 2026