National Gallery Singapore presents first solo exhibition in 60 years dedicated to Nanyang artist Lai Foong Moi

Lai Foong Moi: Crossings spotlights one of Singapore's trailblazing women artists, tracing her enduring legacy and contributions as an artist and educator.  

SINGAPORE, 14 August 2026 – National Gallery Singapore presents Lai Foong Moi: Crossings, the first solo presentation of underexplored Nanyang artist Lai Foong Moi since the 1960s. Running from 14 August 2026 to 3 October 2027, Crossings brings together paintings and archival materials that offer new perspectives on Lai's artistic legacy, including her contemplative portrayals of identity, gender, labour, and urban life during the 1960s to 1970s – a period of profound transformation in Singapore and Malaya.

Born in Malaya, Lai graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in 1954 before continuing her studies at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris on a French Government scholarship. During her time in Paris, she also exhibited her work. Upon her return to Singapore in 1958, Lai became the first Malayan-born woman to hold solo exhibitions in Singapore and the Federation of Malaya. While celebrated during her lifetime, her practice has received comparatively limited attention within the histories of Singaporean and Malaysian art. Crossings offers a timely opportunity to revisit her work and recognise her enduring influence as both an artist and educator.

Taking its title from two paintings created by Lai in 1964 and 1965, Crossings is framed around moments of transition, encounter, and becoming. The title speaks not only to Lai's own journeys across Malaya, Singapore, and Paris, but also to a time when the region was negotiating new ideas of identity, nationhood, and cultural modernity. By situating her artistic ambitions and practice within these broader social transformations, the exhibition invites visitors to discover how Lai offered a distinctive perspective on modern life at a pivotal moment in Singapore's history.

As the second edition of National Gallery Singapore's Dalam Singapore series – which spotlights significant yet underexplored artists and stories from Singapore's art history through the Gallery's research, insightful curation, and engaging programming – Crossings reintroduces Lai's practice to a new generation of audiences while deepening understanding of her place within Singapore's artistic heritage.

Despite being recognised as one of the region’s notable women artists during her lifetime, Lai and her practice have received comparatively little scholarly attention. Through paintings and archival materials, the exhibition traces the breadth of her artistic journey and the sensitivity with which she portrayed individuals navigating a period of profound change.

Following Lai Foong Moi's artistic journey

The exhibition traces Lai's artistic journey from her formative years at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts to her studies at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where she exhibited regularly at prestigious salon exhibitions. After returning to Singapore in 1958, Lai joined her alma mater as an educator and taught there for more than three decades. Through paintings, photographs, exhibition catalogues, and archival materials, visitors can gain new insights into her artistic development, early achievements within local and international art circles, and her enduring influence as an artist and educator. 

Lai's paintings offer a contemplative perspective on everyday life in Singapore during the 1960s to 1970s. Against a background of rapid transformation, she captured nostalgic scenes through unexpected, quiet moments of pause and contemplation – from labourers at rest to scenes of stillness within a changing urban landscape. Together, these works invite visitors to consider the uncertainties and complexities of life during this formative period in Singapore’s history.

Lai Foong Moi: Crossings at National Gallery Singapore

Lai Foong Moi: Crossings runs from 14 August 2026 to 3 October 2027 at Dalam Singapore, within the DBS Singapore Gallery 3. General Admission applies (free for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents). For more information, please refer to the attached annexes or visit https://www.nationalgallery.sg/sg/en/exhibitions/Lai-Foong-Moi-Crossings.html. 

Media assets are available through this link.

• Annex A: Lai Foong Moi: Crossings Exhibition Highlights and Key Artworks
• Annex B: Lai Foong Moi: Crossings Curatorial Programmes

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