Nauti: the art show putting bumboats and nude paintings on the same wall

Forget your usual white-cube gallery affair – art marketplace Art Again is celebrating its third anniversary with a sprawling display of nostalgic river scenes alongside nude paintings, two subjects that were rarely ever shown together. You'll get to see this unlikely pairing at the upcoming exhibition, Nauti: All Things Naughty and Nautical, running from August 22 to 30, 2026, at vintage furniture store Objects.re.

The pairing isn't random. Over three years in the art market, Art Again noticed these two themes surfacing time and time again in mid-twentieth-century Singapore art. On one side are familiar depictions of bumboats, quays and the Singapore River, once celebrated as symbols of a young nation charting its future. And on the other are works that revolve around the body, in nude studies, bathers, and figure work that, while just as common, were typically collected and displayed far more discreetly.

The exhibition is also Art Again's largest presentation to date, bringing together more than 50 works drawn from 15 private collections. Think of works by some of Singapore's most influential artists, including Cheong Soo Pieng, Chua Ek Kay, Anthony Poon, Teng Nee Cheong, Lim Tze Peng, Ng Eng Teng, Sarkasi Said, Jimmy Ong, Wong Keen and more. 

Among the highlights are works by Cheong Soo Pieng, one of the pioneers of the Nanyang art movement, which fused European modernism with Southeast Asian subjects to forge a distinctly local visual language; and Teng Nee Cheong, celebrated for his richly decorative Balinese-inspired compositions and sensual nude studies. 

Every artwork on display comes from a private collection and is available for purchase.

Follow Art Again on Instagram here.

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