Art and war have long coexisted, and this latest exhibition from National Gallery Singapore provides an insightful examination of their relationship and its intersections. Using the events of the Second World War and the Vietnam War as the backdrop, After the Monsoon: Art & War in Southeast Asia showcases how these conflicts have shaped past and present artistic expression, responses, and creation in the region. During these brutal eras, art not only served as a critical tool for documenting the realities of the front lines but also as a way to process grief, reflect on history, resist propaganda, and seek peace.
After the Monsoon comes alive through a diverse range of artworks and digital archives. It brings together powerful paintings, from Affandi’s vivid watercolours of war-torn Indonesia to Fernando Amorsolo’s portraits of the occupied Philippines, alongside contemporary perspectives from Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Tada Hengsapkul and Singapore’s Robert Zhao and Ho Rui An.
