Street art in Singapore: the best spots for Instagram photos, and the artists who have learned how to subvert with subtlety
- Street art in Singapore tends towards the nostalgic, telling stories of the country’s past and people – a puppet seller, a book stand operator, Chinese opera
- This form of public art has gained wider acceptance, but some is still too controversial, such as a mural about a historical murder spree that was painted over
Despite Singapore’s reputation for sanitised streets and strict laws, street art thrives in the city state, where large-scale murals have become a colourful, integral part of the urban landscape.
Most of the street art that you see in Singapore is commissioned artwork done with permission from building owners or government bodies. You are unlikely to find the controversial murals with critical political messaging that you may see elsewhere – anyone caught creating such street art is prosecuted under the country’s Vandalism Act of 1966, and may be fined, jailed or sentenced to caning, and the offending works are quickly removed.
“We have to follow the rules, it is Singapore after all,” says Slacsatu, the founder of street art crew ZNC and one of the owners of The Black Book, Singapore’s first physical graffiti store.
“Of course, there will always be limitations to what we can paint in Singapore, but I feel it makes us more creative,” says Singaporean street art pioneer Zul Othman, who goes by the handle Zero. “Instead of being confrontational, we learn how to subvert certain issues through subtleties.”
We set out to find the most popular spots for street art in Singapore’s old neighbourhoods, and the stories behind the art.
Chinatown: a window into old Singapore