I visited artist Yip Yew Chong’s exhibition I Paint my Singapore at the Raffles City Convention Centre two weeks ago. His spectacular painting spanning 60m consists of 27 panels of scenes of Singapore.

Every panel is rich in details and tells stories about Singapore during the 1970s and 1980s.

I was sad to learn from the artist himself that he was worried about the future of his painting after the exhibition ends on Jan 1, 2024.

He has been hoping for someone to buy the painting in its totality and preserve it. He cannot afford to keep it.

He said there had been inquiries, some from outside Singapore, to buy parts of it. He does not want the painting to leave Singapore.

What came to my mind was, “Why does the National Heritage Board not buy it and preserve it as a national treasure?” More than just a piece of art, it is a visual documentation of Singapore’s history on a personal level. There are paintings of old Singapore by many artists, but there are no comparable works with such extensive, comprehensive and intimate content. 

Yip has made a name for himself painting street murals and his works are well loved by Singaporeans. I Paint my Singapore is his most ambitious work to date, a labour of love which took 1½ years to complete.

The work deserves to be kept in Singapore to be enjoyed by Singaporeans. It has immense artistic, historical and educational value. In his own words, it is “the one piece that I hope all of Singapore will come to view. It is also an expression of my love and tribute to Singapore”.

Old people will love the memories it evokes, while younger people can learn aspects of Singapore which their parents and grandparents lived through and which are no longer around.

It would be a great shame if the painting were broken up, bought by private collectors or, worse still, taken out of Singapore either in parts or in its entirety. I strongly urge the National Heritage Board or the National Gallery to buy it and preserve it for posterity. 

Sin Chey Cheng