Desire to Scrawl

Based on Drawn to Satire, the first comic book about cartoonists in Singapore by Lim Cheng Tju and Koh Hong Teng, Desire to Scrawl is an exhibition on the art of the book. Curated by Lim Cheng Tju, it will present the stories of the 8 cartoonists featured – Tchang Ju Chi, Liu Kang, Shamsuddin H Akib, Koeh Sia Yong, Lim Mu Hue, Morgan Chua, Dai Yin Lang and Kwan Shan Mei. Some of them were born in Singapore, others were from elsewhere. Some eventually left due to changing circumstances, but most settled and made Singapore their home. This exhibition explores their lives and cartoons and how they reflect the political upheaval and changing times. We all need to adjust to the realities of the world but how we adapt to survive is a story of human ingenuity and creativity.

A smaller companion exhibition is Devoted to Serve, showcasing the art of the original 8 cartoonists. Some are famous for their oils, watercolours or illustrations. For those unfamiliar with these artists, this small show will bring to light their art and cartoons to a new audience. But whatever the medium, these artists have displayed the devotion to serve a larger purpose of fighting foreign aggression, injustice, indifference, cruelty or simply holding up the savage mirror and pointing out the emperor is truly naked. Some of these artists may not be on the ‘right’ side of history in the past but they have stood the test of time.