Mr Donald Tan, President of the Singapore Watercolour Society,
Dr Ho Kah Leong,
Distinguished Guests,
Art enthusiasts, parents, teachers and students,
1. Good afternoon. I was excited to be invited to this event by the Singapore Watercolour Society, as Art can be expressed in so many ways. Walking through the exhibition hall as I entered, I was already looking forward to seeing the art pieces later. Thank you for having me at the opening of the Singapore Watercolour Society's 57th Annual Exhibition and the 18th National Junior Watercolour Competition. It is wonderful to see artists, whether young and emerging, or the older and experienced ones, coming together to celebrate the art of watercolour.
2. The Singapore Watercolour Society has been promoting the art of watercolour painting and the exchange of ideas and knowledge since 1969. More than five decades on, it is heartening to see the Society continue to nurture an appreciation for watercolour and pass this artistic tradition on to a new generation.
Singapore in Colours
3. This year's competition theme "Singapore in Colours, A City of Hope and Harmony", invites our young artists to look at Singapore with fresh eyes – to observe the people, places and moments around them, and to give colour and form to what hope and harmony mean to them.
4. I understand that this year's competition received a record 1,700 submissions from students aged five to 18, the highest in its history. Congratulations to Singapore Watercolour Society. It is heartening to see such strong interest in watercolour painting among our young people. Beyond developing artistic skills, experiences like these give them opportunities to observe, imagine and express how they see the world.
Art and Education
5. Art has an important place in education because Art teaches our students that, while they may all see the things of this world similarly, each of them will experience it and express themselves very differently. We can see that in the paintings at the exhibition today.
- Two students can look at the same scene but produce two very different paintings. Yet, both expressions would be just as thoughtful and meaningful, each reflecting how the artist sees and interprets the world.
- In this way, Art helps our students recognise that the same subject can also be understood from vastly different perspectives. It teaches them to value how others see the world, while giving them confidence to develop and express their own point of view. The ability to appreciate different perspectives while still forming your own views is a deeply human endeavour and one worth nurturing from a young age.
6. Watercolour itself also offers valuable lessons. While I do not paint, watercolour certainly calls for precision and patience, yet at the same time invites spontaneity and courage. A single drop of water can transform a painting's tone and message, and a brushstroke may not always turn out quite as we initially intended or imagined.
- There is a lesson in that too. Things do not always unfold as we expect, just like life. Sometimes, we have to adapt, work with what is before us, and perhaps, discover possibilities we had not imagined.
7. These qualities – patience, adaptability and the courage to experiment – are what Art education in schools actively seeks to strengthen. Through Art, students learn to give form to their ideas and, hopefully in time, grow in confidence, as they experiment with different ways of innovating and expressing themselves.
8. Opportunities such as today's exhibition complement the learning in our schools, by giving students a public platform to share their work beyond the classroom. The experience of creating a work for exhibition also encourages our students to take ownership of their creative process and engage with a wider audience, much like yourselves here.
Nurturing Our Young Artists
9. I offer my sincere congratulations to all our prize recipients today, and I take Mr Donald Tan's point from earlier that everyone here who has participated in this exhibition is indeed a winner. Your works reflect deep imagination, consistent effort, and many hours of practice and experimentation, as you translate what you see, what you experience and what you feel onto paper.
10. It is inspiring to see what some of our young artists chose to capture about Singapore through their works. Allow me to cite some examples.
- For Jasper Loke from Junyuan Primary School, Singapore is represented not by iconic landmarks, but by the HDB flats that are part of his everyday life and feel most like home. Surrounded by greenery and a lively family of chickens, his work reflects an appreciation of Singapore as a Garden City where nature and the city coexist.
- Meanwhile, Zheng Chu Xin from Admiralty Primary School reflected on Singapore's journey since independence. The cloth running through Chu Xin's work represents the passage of time and how far we have come as a country.
- Fu Wan Qing from Nanyang Primary School, in turn, looked to our Peranakan heritage. Through familiar elements such as bahulu, bak chang, Nanyang coffee and traditional textiles, Wan Qing evokes a sense of nostalgia for the traditions that form part of Singapore's cultural identity.
11. Together, these works tell different stories about Singapore – of our home, of our journey as a nation, and of our cultural heritage and cherished traditions.
Appreciation to Partners
12. Our young artists, of course, do not make this journey alone. Behind every student willing to put brush to paper is a community of parents, teachers, schools and arts practitioners who give them the encouragement and space to explore.
- To the parents and teachers here today, having just celebrated Teachers' Day yesterday: thank you for believing in our young people, giving them the confidence to express themselves, and encouraging them to keep trying.
13. An exhibition and competition of this scale would not be possible without a great deal of effort and dedication. My appreciation also goes to the Singapore Watercolour Society, the organising committee, judges, volunteers, sponsors and partners for creating this opportunity for our young artists to learn, create and share their work.
Conclusion
14. In conclusion, Art helps us look at the world around us a little more carefully. It teaches us to be sensitive to our surroundings and observant to change. It also helps us imagine what the world could be in the future.
15. To our young artists, I encourage you to continue to observe things around you closely, to stay ever curious and to keep creating through Art. Most importantly, to find joy in the process – take steps to develop your craft further, and in time, to grow your artistic acumen and voice.
16. It is my pleasure to declare the Singapore Watercolour Society's 57th Annual Exhibition and the 18th National Junior Watercolour Competition Exhibition officially open.
17. Thank you.