Padang Spotlights #2: Sun Yee

Welcome to Padang Spotlights! These special episodes are dedicated to unearthing our archives to bring to life the rich narratives of Southeast Asian artists and art spaces. 

In this spotlight, our researcher and host Tan Yen Peng traces the legacy of female artist and educator Sun Yee (b. 1919, d. 2010), a pivotal but lesser-known figure in Singapore’s early art scene. As the former head of the Singapore Academy of Arts, and an artist with nearly 100 exhibitions to her name, Sun Yee played a vital role in shaping art education in Singapore but over time, her contributions have quietly faded from public memory. 

Through heartfelt conversations with her former student, artist-designer Eng Siak Loy, and long-time friend and gallerist Johnny Yu Ching Chung, Yen Peng pieces together Sun Yee’s contributions to Singapore’s artistic landscape and reflects on the importance of remembering those who laid the groundwork for today’s creative communities. 

Researcher, Host & Co-editor: Tan Yen Peng 

Co-editors & Producers: Adele Tan, Kelysha Cheah Kassim, Ng Zheng Hong 

Audio production, Music & Sound design: Chong Li-Chuan 

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