Children of the Sun

At first glance, you might not know what to make of Children of the Sun. But step back, and human-like figures start to emerge, leaning, reaching, resting, from a sea of colour.

Khoo Sui Hoe painted this work in the mid-1960s, when Singapore had just become independent and was changing fast. It was a time of bold visions and big plans. One such project was the construction of the Singapore Conference Hall, designed by architect Lim Chong Keat. Lim initially commissioned Khoo to create a mural-like painting for this significant new space.

The scale of this work is impressive. More than 2 square metres. You might notice a faint seam running across the bottom. That’s where two canvases were joined.  Khoo painted over the join, turning it into a waterline within the landscape. He didn’t paint this work in a formal studio. He painted it at Lim’s seaside cottage in Pasir Panjang.  And those geometric lines in the lower right? They are actually shadows cast by the roof of the cottage. Khoo painted them into the scene as they fell onto the canvas. So what happens when the process of making becomes part of the picture? Does it change how you see the work?