The UOB Southeast Asia Gallery is temporarily closed and will reopen in late 2027. In the meantime, works from the National Collection remain exhibited across the Gallery. 

Image credit: Phaptawan Suwannakudt, Hidden Screens: Laplae (2005), Installation: painted screens, embroidery and fabric, Exhibition view of "Until We Meet Again", Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC). Image courtesy of the artist. Photo by Aroon Peampoonsopon

The Eighth Liu Kang Annual Lecture explores the evocative practice of Phaptawan Suwannakudt, tracing her journey from traditional Thai temple mural painting to a later diasporic practice that unfolds across Australia and beyond. Trained within a male-dominated tradition, she reconfigures the mural as a living field of memory, translation, and exchange.

Drawing on feminist and postcolonial perspectives, the lecture considers how her work reshapes ideas of gender, lineage, and cultural movement, with particular attention to projects such as the reconstruction of her father’s murals at Wat Theppol and a collaboration at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, offering a rich reflection on tradition in transformation. 

Following the lecture, Dr Adele Tan will join this session as discussant.

  • When: 18 Jul 2026, 2–3pm
  • Suitable For: Adults, Visitors with accessibility needs, Young Adults
  • Where: National Gallery Singapore, City Hall Wing, Level B1, The Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium
  • Ticket information: Free, registration required

About the Speaker and Discussant