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Featuring rarely seen artworks brought together for the first time in over 50 years, Tchang Ju Chi’s first solo exhibition explores the life and work of one of Singapore’s early prominent artists.
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When: 18 Jul- 21 Jun 2026
Tchang Ju Chi: Tireless Camel
“为此，骆驼出来了。虽则，脚步恁般迂缓，样子笨滞；但是它，纵使前途有沙、尘，有风地雷雨，与一切困苦，还是负着重大的使命，一步一步地前进，永远没有倦意。”
“For this, the camel emerges. Though its gait may be slow and its appearance clumsy, it presses on. Despite the sand, dust, winds, thunder, rain and all hardships that lie ahead, it bears a great mission, step by step moving forward, ever tireless.”
Tchang Ju Chi, in Yeh Hui, Lat Pau, 1930
Tchang Ju Chi (张汝器) (b. 1904, China; d. 1942, Singapore) was a prominent artist, playing a key role in shaping the city’s nascent arts scene. A man of many talents—painter, cartoonist, graphic designer and activist—Tchang once compared artists to camels: unyielding and trudging tirelessly with slow but sure steps, driven by a sense of mission.
For the first time in over 50 years, this exhibition brings together over 15 rarely seen artworks reproduced cartoons and archival materials, shedding light on Tchang’s life and practice.
Featured artworks
![<span style="font-style: normal;">倡言和平的人拼命把地球装满炸药 [Advocates for peace are eagerly trying to fill the earth with explosives] </span>](/content/dam/whats-on/exhibitions/singapore-stories-pathways-and-detours-in-art/Picture%201,%20Picture.png)
![<span style="font-style: normal;">[Not titled]</span> (Still Life)](/content/dam/whats-on/exhibitions/singapore-stories-pathways-and-detours-in-art/A%20bowl%20of%20fruit%20on%20a%20table%20AI-generated%20content%20may%20be%20incorrect_.png)
Ways to experience this exhibition
Join exhibition curator Shujuan Lim for an insightful guided tour that delves into Tchang’s influential role in shaping Singapore’s early art scene. Featuring newly conserved and rarely seen paintings, reproduced cartoons, and archival materials, the exhibition Tchang Ju Chi: Tireless Camel reveals the rich layers of his artistic legacy and powerful social commentary.
11am
In this lecture, Yeo Mang Thong will trace Tchang’s local and international networks and his pivotal role in shaping Singapore’s art history. After the lecture, Yeo and exhibition curator Shujuan Lim will further explore the challenges of researching pre-war art history and its interconnections with other disciplines.
2pmExhibition Materials
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Exhibition CatalogueDownload (PDF, 19.7 MB)
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Exhibition BrochureDownload (PDF, 3.0 MB)
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Exhibition content (English)Download (PDF, 475.6 KB)
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Exhibition content (Bahasa Melayu)Download (PDF, 499.2 KB)
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Exhibition content (中文)Download (PDF, 1017.3 KB)
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Exhibition content (தமிழ்)Download (PDF, 670.1 KB)
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Document of SourcesDownload (PDF, 1.9 MB)
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