Step into the experiences of Asian artists in Paris at National Gallery Singapore’s upcoming exhibition, City of Others: Asian Artists in Paris, 1920s-1940s. This first ever major comparative exhibition aims to re-read the art history of Paris from an Asian perspective, inviting the public to delve deeper into how Asian artists lived, worked, and exhibited there in a dynamic period of modern art history.
The exhibition transports audiences to an era when Paris was at the height of modernity. The new elegant Art Deco style influenced everything from fashion and furniture to advertising, drawing from Asian inspirations. Migrants from around the world imbued fresh influences into art, music, and dance. Asian artists brought their distinctive heritage to Paris and engaged with the city’s modern art world. At the same time, Paris was the seat of a colonial empire, which had complex and troubling implications for artists from the colonies.
Herein this dynamic cultural hub, leading Asian artists such as Foujita Tsuguharu, Georgette Chen, Lê Phô, Liu Kang, Hanamaka Katsu, and Sanyu forged new modes of expression, blending their own cultural histories with the modernities of Paris. As they encountered people from different backgrounds – the cultural ‘others’ – they themselves were often viewed as outsiders (‘others’), fuelling a vibrant exchange of aesthetics and ideas, shaping their artistic identities in profound ways.
Artists claimed their space within Paris’ artistic landscape, from the halls of École des Beaux-Arts to the studios of Académie de la Grande Chaumière, at the same time expanding their networks in the bustling quarters of Montparnasse, a popular district for artists’ cafes, studios and informal art schools. Asian artists were also active in the field of the decorative arts during this period. Japanese designers and artisans were involved in the new market for luxury decorative arts and Vietnamese workers provided much of the labour for the newly popular lacquer ware and furniture.
Amid this cultural vibrancy, artists navigated the tension between modernity and tradition against the backdrop of a global economic depression, colonialism, and the looming threat of war. It was in this dynamic environment that Asian artists found themselves in a serious and thoughtful re-engagement with their own cultures and identities as ‘the Other’, resulting in two-way traffic and exchange of ideas.
City of Others also explores colonial propaganda in Paris and the response by migrant artists from the colonies, who were forced to confront complex dynamics as they participated in events such as the 1931 Exposition Coloniale Internationale. Vietnamese artists such as Lê Phô and Vu Cao Dam strategically navigated colonial spectacles in the context of special salons and international expositions to assert their identities as artists while gaining recognition internationally.
In addition, the exhibition examines the reception of Asian art within national, cultural, and colonial contexts in Paris. It presents new research on the contributions of Asian artists and artisans to the Art Deco movement, their participation in significant exhibitions and salons, and the impact of colonial networks and exhibition platforms on modern artists from Asia.
Venue: National Gallery Singapore
Admission charges apply for this special exhibition.
When: 2 Apr - 17 Aug 2025,
By: National Gallery Singapore
