S.E.A. Focus, a platform and marketplace for contemporary Southeast Asian art, returned for its seventh edition and will run until Jan 26 at Tanjong Pager Distripark in Singapore. Organised by STPI -- Creative Workshop & Gallery and commissioned by the National Arts Council, Singapore, SEA Focus is one of the highlights of Singapore Art Week, the pinnacle of Southeast Asia's visual arts season.
Curated by John Tung, independent curator, the theme of S.E.A. Focus 2025 is "Disconnected Contemporaries". The exhibition features over 200 artworks created by approximately 40 artists from eight Southeast Asian countries and represented by 21 exhibitors.
Tung explained that the seventh edition of S.E.A. Focus closely examines the schism between the modern and contemporary periods in art history, especially within a Southeast Asian context.

Forest by Wong Keen, an 83-year-old Singaporean painter.
"In the past, while the Singapore Art Museum was in charge of collecting, preserving and presenting contemporary art, National Gallery Singapore was in charge of presenting modern art. Since both of these terms can be somewhat ambiguous, it was decided that 1990 would begin the contemporary era in Southeast Asia. The decision was rooted in writing and critical thinking by art historians and significant events that happened across Southeast Asia," Tung said.
"I was very interested in how a layperson, a person who occasionally visits exhibitions, or a person who does not really go to exhibitions, would take the idea of the modern and the contemporary. I think for many people, both words mean essentially the same thing. We are a modern-day person; therefore, we must be contemporary. For many people who don't even go to museums, they would think that contemporary art is not very much art at all. It's just a painting or a nice marble sculpture," he said.

What Is Love by Chng Seok Tin, left.
"I realised that these two words were not just art historical terms. They had stylistic qualities that were associated with them. It was about the ideas that the artist was dealing with, the materials they were employing and the making of the works. The exhibition aimed to explore these myriad ideas. This probably offers new ways of thinking and looking at art."
The first stop that Tung took international reporters to visit is an exhibit created by ArtDis, a nonprofit organisation which provides training for artists with disabilities whether they are neurodivergent individuals or people with physical disabilities.
ArtDis presented several artworks created by Chng Seok Tin, a renowned female Singaporean artist, who suffered from visual impairment and eventually became blind. Chng has worked on many kinds of media including drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture. The presentation features Chng's works spanning approximately 20 years, from the early 70s to the early 90s.

John Tung, curator of S.E.A. Focus 2025.
"Chng had a very strong focus on print, but as her vision became poorer, there are a lot more textures emerging in her works. Despite her visual impairment, Chng still continues to make art."
To enable the visually impaired to experience art, S.E.A. Focus created Braille versions of Chng's works, so the visually impaired can appreciate her art through touch.
"Art tends to not be accessible for people with visual impairment. It is an important step in letting people know that S.E.A. Focus can actually curate exhibitions which are accessible to all segments of the public. It requires a lot more effort to create these access points," Tung said.

My Global South by Chinese artist Lin Aojie.
As S.E.A. Focus is an exhibition centred on Southeast Asian artist, it was a surprise when Tung introduced reporters to an artwork, My Global South created by Chinese artist Lin Aojie. My Global South features a map of Asia where China is overlaid with an illustration of a dragon with long hands reaching into Southeast Asian countries. There are little yellow dotted outlines which include areas like Timor Leste, Hong Kong and Taiwan in the demarcation of Southeast Asia.
"Viewers can see that Lin has reconstituted Southeast Asia slightly different. First, Timor Leste, has been added. Timor Leste has been waiting for membership [Asean] approval for the longest time, but has not been granted yet. More interestingly, there are additions of Taiwan and the southern part of China," explained Tung.
"Lin would love to be part of Southeast Asian exhibitions. He expressed his belief that, ultimately, the region is defined by connections between people. People have the right to define on their own terms what region is and that's what this particular artwork says."

Universe In The Garden by Dusadee Huntrakul.
The next artist, Wong Keen, is an 83-year-old Singaporean painter, who is still very prolific. When Wong was 15, he studied art from Chen Wen Hsi, the legendary Singaporean artist. He later went to study in the US and became attracted to abstract expressionist masters like Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline, so his works are influenced by both western and Singaporean art.
At S.E.A. Focus, Wong's main piece, Forest, a three-dimensional sculpture hanging from the ceiling, features western style paintings on Chinese calligraphy paper using Chinese ink, showcasing both Eastern and Western influences.
Tung shared that when he interviewed Wong by asking what contemporary means. The artist replied that contemporary is now. He also said that he is a contemporary artist because he is alive. As an 83-year-old artist, Wong proved artists can exist in both the modern and contemporary era.

Dreaming For The Future Of Archaeology by Dusadee Huntrakul.
Natee Utarit, renowned Thai artist, impressed viewers with his comic book, The Super Unknown. The cover of The Super Unknown features the lady protagonist boldly kicking down a classic Western statue. Aside from the comic book format, each page in The Super Unknown has been transformed into an oil painting and is displayed on the walls.
In The Super Unknown, there are numerous icons from Western art history and pop culture. The lady protagonist expresses her outrage through acts of aggression such as shooting, kicking and throwing an axe on those western artistic icons. These actions can be interpreted as a rebellion against Western influences.
"If you look carefully at the paintings, you can get a sense of what Natee is addressing. He has been dealing with this particular issue of the overbearing influence of Western art on Southeast Asia for a very long time," explained Tung.
"As a painter who grew up in Thailand, but also trained in a Western tradition, he has been conflicted about what constitutes Asian painting. What exactly is Thai painting? These are questions he tries to address across his practice."
Dusadee Huntrakul, a Thai artist, dazzled visitors with Dreaming For The Future Of Archaeology, which is a collection of artefacts inspired by his interest in archaeology.
At first glance, the collection looks like artefacts dug out from an archeological site. However, they are actually contemporary pieces, such as the UFO and the Holy Grail from Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade.
A funny feature is that Dusadee added what looks like lizard excrement to every artifact. Tung explained that Dusadee conceived the idea when real lizards left their droppings on his treasured ceramic art.
"The little piece of excrement became a symbol of Dusadee's recognition of all the living forms around him. The connection is not just with other people, but with every single organism that we share the world with," said Tung.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dusadee took a closer look at things surrounding him. The results were 156 photographs titled Universe In The Garden that captured insects and plants in his backyard.
"His work gives us a sense of the abundance of life that surround us and reminds us of the interconnectedness of all the life forms with which we share this planet."
S.E.A. Focus 2025 runs until Jan 26 at 39 Keppel Road, Tanjong Pagar Distripark in Singapore. Tickets cost SG$10 (252 baht) each and are valid for multiple entries. To purchase tickets and learn more about S.E.A. Focus 2025, visit seafocus.sg.