Passion is Volcanic: Desire in Southeast Asian Art (R18) explores how desire, eroticism and the body have shaped artistic practices and cultural discourses in Southeast Asia. Featuring rarely seen artworks from the National Collection alongside key regional loans, the exhibition embraces the power and presence of desire in art and life. Discover bold, provocative expressions that blur the boundaries we keep between the private and public, the intimate and sublime, soft pleasures and hard politics.
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When: 24 Apr – 20 Sep 2026 - Suitable For: Adults
- Where: City Hall Wing, Level 4, Level 4 Gallery
- Ticket Information: Tickets from $5, to be purchased at the Gallery
- This exhibition is rated R18 and is open to visitors aged 18 and above only.
- Valid ID may be required for age verification at the entrance.
- To preserve the experience, photography and videography are not permitted within the exhibition space.
Trace how desire has been expressed, contested, and reimagined
Passion is Volcanic: Desire in Southeast Asian Art (R18) explores desire, the body, and sexuality as powerful forces shaping artistic expression across the region.
The title, “Passion is Volcanic”, draws inspiration from Nanyang artist Liu Kang’s 1953 essay Trip to Bali, in which he observed that erotic forms of desire could act as creative forces for questioning and change. Building on this idea, the exhibition approaches the erotic as a lived, felt experience that shapes how we think, know, and relate to others.
Organised across three sections – Asian Mythos and Ritual, Conventions of the Erotic, and Public Arenas/Private Interiors – the exhibition traces how desire has been expressed, contested, and reimagined across different cultural and historical contexts.
Featured Artworks
Vajradhara and Prajnaparamita
Artist unknown
c. 14th –15th century. Gilt copper alloy, 22.8 × 16.3 × 15.5 cm. Gift of Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple. Collection of Asian Civilisations Museum, National Heritage Board, Singapore.
c. 14th –15th century. Gilt copper alloy, 22.8 × 16.3 × 15.5 cm. Gift of Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple. Collection of Asian Civilisations Museum, National Heritage Board, Singapore.
Haliya Bathing
Agnes Arellano
1983. Coldcast marble sculpture and crushed marble stones, 30 x 104 x 100 cm. Collection of Singapore Art Museum.
1983. Coldcast marble sculpture and crushed marble stones, 30 x 104 x 100 cm. Collection of Singapore Art Museum.
Altar
Nguyễn Quân
1992. Ink on paper, 83 x 303 cm. Collection of Singapore Art Museum.
1992. Ink on paper, 83 x 303 cm. Collection of Singapore Art Museum.
Hand, Foot and Hair
Long Thien Shih
1971. Etching and blank embossed cut-out aquatint, 39 x 48 cm. Collection of National Gallery Singapore. © Long Thien Shih.
1971. Etching and blank embossed cut-out aquatint, 39 x 48 cm. Collection of National Gallery Singapore. © Long Thien Shih.
Scene in Bali
Liu Kang
1953. Oil on canvas, 127 x 85.5 cm. Gift of the artist’s family. Collection of National Gallery Singapore.
1953. Oil on canvas, 127 x 85.5 cm. Gift of the artist’s family. Collection of National Gallery Singapore.
Clouds of Conscience
Alfonso A. Ossorio
1956. Oil on masonite board , 153 x 97 cm. Gift of Fernando Zóbel. Collection of Ateneo Art Gallery. Image courtesy of Ateneo Art Gallery, Ateneo de Manila University. Reproduced with the permission of the Ossorio Foundation and Nicole A. Vanasse.
1956. Oil on masonite board , 153 x 97 cm. Gift of Fernando Zóbel. Collection of Ateneo Art Gallery. Image courtesy of Ateneo Art Gallery, Ateneo de Manila University. Reproduced with the permission of the Ossorio Foundation and Nicole A. Vanasse.
LILY FOR GEORGIA O’KEEFE
Julie Lluch
2009. Terracotta with acrylic , 117 x 77 x 22 cm. Collection of BenCab Museum. Image courtesy of BenCab Museum.
2009. Terracotta with acrylic , 117 x 77 x 22 cm. Collection of BenCab Museum. Image courtesy of BenCab Museum.
Sixtynine 1
Ahmad Zakii Anwar
2000. Acrylic on canvas, 69 x 69 cm. Private Collection.
2000. Acrylic on canvas, 69 x 69 cm. Private Collection.
Sixtynine 3
Ahmad Zakii Anwar
2000. Acrylic on canvas, 69 x 69 cm. Private collection.
2000. Acrylic on canvas, 69 x 69 cm. Private collection.
Dissolving into the Same Breath #3
Lavender Chang
2024. Fine art archival print on rice paper, 90 x 73 cm. Collection of the artist. Image courtesy of the artist.
2024. Fine art archival print on rice paper, 90 x 73 cm. Collection of the artist. Image courtesy of the artist.
Exhibition Materials
Ways to experience this exhibition
Explore Passion is Volcanic through the lens of fanfiction, using its tags, prompts, and ways of storytelling to draw new connections with the exhibition’s artworks and ideas. Create a personal fanfiction zine along the way.
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