National Gallery Singapore
Gallery Benefit (2025)
Burning, 2023, Oil on canvas, 183 x 244cm
Private collection, Singapore
Burning captures a quiet yet intense moment just before a monsoon storm. The scene takes place on a windy beach, where a heavy storm-filled sky, painted in deep shades of blue, looms over restless waves crashing onto the shore. In the foreground, a lone figure crouches near the water, the small glow of a cigarette briefly cutting through the growing darkness. A nearby pickup truck hints at a brief stop—perhaps a pause between leaving and reflecting.
Tall trees stand firm as the storm approaches, their dark outlines contrasting against the swirling sky. The wind moves through their leaves, carrying a sense of resilience. Along the road, street lamps cast a warm amber light, offering a contrast to the stormy sky and marking the boundary between nature’s unpredictability and human presence.
The artist was inspired by travels in Kuantan, Malaysia, where the rugged coastline is a stark contrast to the carefully maintained beaches of Singapore. This beach is not serene or picturesque but powerful and unyielding. Burning challenges the usual romanticized depictions of tropical shores, choosing instead to highlight the monsoon’s raw energy—a version of the tropics that is both striking and unpredictable.
The title, Burning, is a reference to the 2018 Korean film of the same name, drawing parallels in both its color palette and its quiet intensity. The mix of deep blues at dusk and the flickering glow of artificial light gives the painting a cinematic quality, suggesting an untold story.
At the center of it all, the lone figure invites contemplation. What is he thinking as he waits before the storm? Is he looking for peace, a moment of escape, or simply a brief distraction with his cigarette? In this stillness before the storm, Burning offers a space for reflection—on solitude, change, and the quiet moments that stay with us.