The Gift, 2024
acrylic paint on xuan paper
(H) 71 x (W) 50 cm
On 6 February 1819, Stamford Raffles, together with Temenggong Abdul Rahman and Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor, signed a treaty granting the British East India Company (EIC) the right to establish a trading post in Singapore. On the same day, the British flag was officially raised, marking the beginning of Singapore as a British settlement (National Library Board, Singapore).
This painting playfully re-examines that historic day, exploring not just the visible political agreements but also EIC’s hidden motives—including the gift of Papaver somniferum (opium poppy).
This painting playfully re-examines that historic day, exploring not just the visible political agreements but also EIC’s hidden motives—including the gift of Papaver somniferum (opium poppy).