Five Galleries to Know in Singapore

Audrey Yeo began her career as a gallerist in London before returning home to Singapore in 2013, when she opened Yeo Workshop at Gillman Barracks, which had recently been converted into an arts complex. Over the past decade, she has built a gallery known for representing Southeast Asian artists whose work “combines strong craftsmanship with compelling human stories,” she said. Among them are Balinese artist Citra Sasmita, Malaysian painter Anum, Indonesian artist Maryanto, and Singapore’s Wei Leng Tay.

Yeo Workshop has also earned a reputation for initiatives beyond simply mounting exhibitions, from publishing the first-ever monograph on pioneering Singaporean artist Solamalay Namasivayam to hosting intimate life drawing sessions, panel discussions, art appreciation brunches, and collector gatherings aimed at connecting with the local community. The gallery is currently marking its 12th anniversary with “Holding (Space),” a group exhibition featuring Aki Hassan, Justin Loke, Marcin Dudek, and others. 

As president of the Art Galleries Association Singapore, Yeo also leads Singapore Gallery Month, and she was instrumental in the launch of Singapore’s S.E.A Focus art fair and the Julius Baer Next Generation Art Prize for Southeast Asian digital artists. “Singapore’s art scene is still emerging, so there is ample room for all players to grow and develop demand,” Yeo said. “Every gallery has an important role to play in building a stronger, more vibrant art ecosystem.”

Trained as a lawyer before following her true calling in the arts, Stephanie Fong established FOST Gallery in 2006 when Singapore’s arts scene was still nascent. What began in a shophouse near the Singapore River has since grown into one of Southeast Asia’s most progressive contemporary art spaces, now based in Gillman Barracks. From the outset, Fong’s vision has been artist-driven. “We do not have any restrictions on mediums, styles, themes. What is more important is that we work with artists who are committed to making art a career and who use their own authentic visual language as a means of expression,” she said.

FOST champions leading Singaporean voices such as John Clang, Grace Tan, Wyn-Lyn Tan, Donna Ong, and Ian Woo, while also nurturing emerging names like Jon Chan and Lavender Chang. International artists, like Phi Phi Oanh from Vietnam and Adeel uz Zafar from Pakistan, enrich the gallery’s diverse roster. Beyond exhibitions, FOST is known for its artist talks, scholarly publications, and emphasis on long-lasting relationships. As Fong put it, “Finding meaning in what I do is very important to me.”

Founded in 2023 by seasoned Singaporean gallerist Christiaan Haridas, Haridas Contemporary has swiftly become a vital springboard for emerging and mid-career Singaporean and Singapore-based artists, alongside artists from elsewhere in Southeast Asia. With nearly two decades of experience at leading institutions like STPI, Gajah Gallery, and Richard Koh Fine Art, Haridas brings both extensive market knowledge and a personal commitment to nurturing talent. The gallery’s roster includes artists Melissa Tan, Jeremy Sharma, Esmond Loh, and John Marie Andrada.

Haridas said the gallery’s artist-development model is deliberately long-term, scouting promising graduates from the Lasalle College of the Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore’s top art schools. The gallery then typically offers them a spot in a group show, which can progress to a solo exhibition and potential representation. Haridas Contemporary also offers artists guidance on balancing career aspirations with the financial realities of life in Singapore. Haridas said, “I feel a sense of personal responsibility to leverage my skill set and help Singaporean artists navigate the commercial side of the visual arts—especially fresh graduates.”

Now based in the Tanjong Pagar Distripark art hub, Haridas Contemporary, which participated in ART SG for the first time earlier this year, is on a mission to grow in step with Singapore’s young contemporary art scene and to “create a sense of belief” in Singapore’s art market, Haridas said.

Despite holding a master’s in physics and building a career in technology, including a stint at Amazon, Spanish art collector Kevin Troyano Cuturi pivoted to the art world in 2019, when he opened his namesake gallery. “I had no prior experience and learned on the job. To this day, we are still learning,” he told ARTnews. Now known for showing a new generation of Singaporean and international artists alike, Cuturi Gallery represents the likes of Aisha Rosli, Khairulddin Wahab, and Shen Jiaqi. The gallery has also worked to raise the profile of its artists internationally, as it did when it collaborated in 2023 with Michael Kohn Gallery in Los Angeles to give Singaporean painter Faris Heizer his first solo show in the US.

Housed in a conservation shophouse in Kampong Glam arts precinct, Cuturi Gallery also runs an in-house residency for local and overseas artists culminating in a solo presentation. Additionally, it staged a series of satellite exhibitions in London in 2022, with plans for a permanent European outpost by 2026. The residency program is accompanied by an initiative modeled after tech incubators in which the gallery’s artists receive mentorship and resources, like arts materials.

“I like to think of the relationship with an artist like a partnership,” Cuturi said. “There should be a common vision working in an environment of trust and complicity. If both parties are in sync, it’s a very powerful arrangement. The key is to have a long-term approach.”

This year, Sullivan+Strumpf is celebrating its 20th anniversary—a milestone that underscores its influence as one of the Asia-Pacific’s leading contemporary art galleries. Founded in Sydney in 2005 by Ursula Sullivan and Joanna Strumpf, it expanded to Singapore in 2016, opening in Gillman Barracks and becoming the first Australian gallery to establish a permanent presence in Asia. The gallery now hosts 30 exhibitions annually across its spaces in Singapore, Sydney, and Melbourne and represents nearly 50 artists at various stages in their careers, including Dawn Ng, Irfan Hendrian, Kanchana Gupta, and Lindy Lee. It also hosts online-only exhibitions and publishes a quarterly magazine. Last July, it relocated to the Tiong Bahru neighborhood, a residential area known for its Art Deco architecture, street art, independent bookstores, and trendy cafes.

“In all areas of our operation, we seek to foster an inclusive and inviting atmosphere,” Strumpf told ARTnews. “In the end, it’s simply about being welcoming, maintaining relationships, and good communication.”

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