This conversation centres the life and work of the late Nirmala Dutt (1941–2016). It brings together Snow Ng, a cultural worker who was in close contact with the artist in her later years, and Curator Joleen Loh. Through personal recollections of Nirmala Dutt, this programme locates her as an artist and a person in equal measure.
Archival material, including personal notes and writing from the artist, will be surfaced to accompany a discussion on her profound empathy for human suffering and engagement with social and environmental issues and how these informed her artmaking. In so doing, this talk illuminates a life and practice that demonstrates ways in which art can speak truth to power.
This programme is moderated by Lucas Huang and is held in conjunction with the exhibition Fear No Power: Women Imagining Otherwise, which highlights five artists whose practices reflect enduring commitment to conceiving more equitable worlds through personal, political, and collective expression.
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When: 23 Aug 2026, 2–3.30pm - Suitable For: Adults
- Where: Supreme Court Wing, Level 5, Glass Room
- Ticket information: Free, registration required
About the Speakers
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Fear No Power: Women Imagining Otherwise
Fear No Power: Women Imagining Otherwise highlights the lives and practices of five artists from Southeast Asia for whom art, life, kinship and community are inseparable. Featuring Imelda Cajipe-Endaya (Philippines), Nirmala Dutt (Malaysia), Amanda Heng (Singapore), Dolorosa Sinaga (Indonesia), and Phaptawan Suwannakudt (Thailand), the exhibition honours their multi-faceted roles—not only as artists, but also as educators, writers or community organisers.
He Xiangning: Ink & Intent | 何香凝：画就丹青凭寄意
A leading ink artist and a prominent political figure, He Xiangning played an important role in the development of modern China. Featuring over 50 ink works and archival materials, the exhibition reconnects He Xiangning's artistic activities and significance to Chinese modern art, Singapore, Penang and the region’s art history.
Passion is Volcanic: Desire in Southeast Asian Art (R18)
Passion is Volcanic: Desire in Southeast Asian Art explores how desire, eroticism and the body have shaped artistic practices and cultural discourses in the 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.