Indelible Marks
Co-organised by Tyrown Waigana (Indigenous Australian), Desmond Mah (Singaporean-Australian), Nazerul Ben-Dzulkefli (Singaporean-Australian)
Indelible Marks examines the impact of colonialism on Singapore’s cultural, social, and political identity. This joint international exhibition, marking Singapore's 60th anniversary of independence in 2025, brings together seven artists from Australia and Singapore, uniting Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives through collaboration, dialogue, and the shared exploration of British colonial histories. By including Australia’s First Nations artists — whose practices reflect resilience and adaptability — the exhibition encourages Singaporeans to confront their own colonial legacy and its ongoing effects. This allied effort challenges dominant colonial narratives and creates space for reflection, dialogue, and action.
Singapore’s reverence for its colonial past has long been a source of tension. Under British rule from the early 19th century until 1959, the city-state was transformed into a vital trading port of the British Empire. This period saw infrastructural growth and economic expansion, shaping modern Singapore in ways still visible today. Yet beneath this progress lay colonial policies that enforced racial segregation, exploited local labour, and erased pre-colonial cultures. The consequences of these systems persist, particularly for those whose histories have been overshadowed by narratives that celebrate the British colonial legacy.
One such narrative is the veneration of Stamford Raffles, often credited with founding Singapore. Monuments like the Raffles Landing Site and Raffles Hotel serve as reminders of a colonial past romanticised in national education and public commemorations. These figures and sites stand as symbols of a colonial legacy embraced as part of Singapore’s global identity, yet this selective memory overlooks the violence, exploitation, and displacement endured by pre-colonial communities.
The exhibition provides a platform for engagement and reflection, inviting audiences to interrogate their own relationship to the histories of colonisation. Themes of cultural adaptation, survival, and resistance emerge as the artists respond to both personal and collective experiences, exploring the intersections of identity, memory, and colonial impact. Through diverse artistic practices, the works create a vibrant, multilayered discourse confronting the complexities of postcolonial identity.
As Singapore celebrates its 60th anniversary of independence in 2025, this alliance of five Australian artists—Ilona McGuire (Aboriginal Australian), Brian Robinson (Torres Strait Islander Australian), Tyrown Waigana (Aboriginal Australian), Nazerul Ben-Dzulkefli (Singaporean-Australian), and Desmond Mah (Singaporean-Australian)—alongside two Singaporean artists, Ezzam Rahman and Alya Rahmat, invites viewers to reconsider the weight of history, the role of memory in shaping national identity, and the importance of resisting historical erasure. It calls for ongoing dialogue, where the marks of the past remain indelible, but the futures they shape can be reimagined through allied, creative action.
The exhibition at Art Seasons gallery offers an excellent opportunity for Australian artists to sell their work in Singapore’s growing and dynamic art market while opening doors to potential new opportunities. It also provides a rare chance for Singaporeans to engage with Indigenous Australian art at a grass-roots level, enabling cultural exchange and deeper understanding. The panel discussion at Comma Space aims to further these conversations independently, exploring the shared and divergent colonial histories of Australia and Singapore, and how they continue to shape contemporary cultural identities.
Ilona McQuire (Aboriginal Australian, Whadjuk, Ballardong, Yuat and Kungarakan heritage): McGuire’s work focuses on the use of traditional Aboriginal colours to highlight the ongoing cultural resilience of her people. Her art is a powerful commentary on sovereignty and land rights, critiquing the structures that have long sought to silence Aboriginal voices.
Brian Robinson (Torres Straits Islander Australian of the Maluyligal and Wuthathi tribal groups of the Torres Strait and Cape York Peninsula and a descendant of the Dayak people of Malaysia): Robinson draws on traditional Torres Strait Islander motifs while challenging the erasure of Indigenous knowledge systems. His work reflects on the survival of his culture in the face of colonial suppression.
Tyrown Waigana (Aboriginal Australian of Wadandi Noongar and Ait Koedal peoples): Waigana’s use of humour and contemporary Indigenous aesthetics critiques colonisation while inviting audiences to engage with complex themes of identity, displacement, and resilience.
Nazerul Ben-Dzulkefli (Malay-Singaporean-Australian): Ben-Dzulkefli creates sculptural works exploring themes of longing, belonging, and colonisation, as he navigates his identity as a Singaporean Malay-Javanese migrant in Perth. Using clay, he re-imagines folk Malay and Javanese rituals, spirits, and writing systems of the Nusantara, preserving personal memories and stories of growing up in Singapore.
Ezzam Rahman (Malay-Singaporean): Rahman’s multidisciplinary practice is defined by his use of ephemeral materials such as skin and talcum powder to explore the transient nature of life, the fragility of the body, and personal identity. His works, which range from performance art to delicate sculptures, reflect on mortality, decay, and the passage of time, while also challenging societal norms around beauty and the body. Through these investigations, Rahman critiques the lingering colonial frameworks that continue to shape perceptions of physicality, race, and identity in contemporary Singapore.
Alya Rahmat (Malay-Singaporean): Alya’s multidisciplinary practice includes assemblage and batik making, exploring themes of nation building, colonisation and reclamation through a feminist centric lens to speculate counter-narratives. The nature of her works explores the female identity and the concerns within the Malay-Muslim community, addressing it through appropriation of Nusantaran myths and folklores.
Desmond Mah (Singaporean-Australian): Mah's practice subverts the authoritative aesthetics of natural history illustration and documentary narratives to interrogate colonial histories. By adopting the meticulous detail and objectivity associated with observation, my paintings challenge how colonisation has shaped understandings of nature, land, and identity. The tension between the naturalist style and the subject matter—erased histories, imposed legacies, and ecological disruptions—prompts viewers to question what is preserved, what is lost, and who controls historical narratives.
Activities
1. Group Exhibition at Art Seasons, Singapore, Opening Fri, 19 Sept 2025
Open remarks: HE Allaster Cox (Australian High Commissioner to Singapore) and Mr Edwin Tong (Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth), in development
Artist Talk + Floor Tour: Sun, 21 Sept 2025
Exhibition Duration: Fri, 19 Sept – Sun, 19 Oct 2025
Educational Tour: By appointment with gallery
2. Panel Discussion at Comma Space, Sat, 20 Sept 2025
Moderator: tbc, subject to funding availability
Co-organised by Tyrown Waigana (Indigenous Australian), Desmond Mah (Singaporean-Australian), Nazerul Ben-Dzulkefli (Singaporean-Australian)
Indelible Marks examines the impact of colonialism on Singapore’s cultural, social, and political identity. This joint international exhibition, marking Singapore's 60th anniversary of independence in 2025, brings together seven artists from Australia and Singapore, uniting Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives through collaboration, dialogue, and the shared exploration of British colonial histories. By including Australia’s First Nations artists — whose practices reflect resilience and adaptability — the exhibition encourages Singaporeans to confront their own colonial legacy and its ongoing effects. This allied effort challenges dominant colonial narratives and creates space for reflection, dialogue, and action.
Singapore’s reverence for its colonial past has long been a source of tension. Under British rule from the early 19th century until 1959, the city-state was transformed into a vital trading port of the British Empire. This period saw infrastructural growth and economic expansion, shaping modern Singapore in ways still visible today. Yet beneath this progress lay colonial policies that enforced racial segregation, exploited local labour, and erased pre-colonial cultures. The consequences of these systems persist, particularly for those whose histories have been overshadowed by narratives that celebrate the British colonial legacy.
One such narrative is the veneration of Stamford Raffles, often credited with founding Singapore. Monuments like the Raffles Landing Site and Raffles Hotel serve as reminders of a colonial past romanticised in national education and public commemorations. These figures and sites stand as symbols of a colonial legacy embraced as part of Singapore’s global identity, yet this selective memory overlooks the violence, exploitation, and displacement endured by pre-colonial communities.
The exhibition provides a platform for engagement and reflection, inviting audiences to interrogate their own relationship to the histories of colonisation. Themes of cultural adaptation, survival, and resistance emerge as the artists respond to both personal and collective experiences, exploring the intersections of identity, memory, and colonial impact. Through diverse artistic practices, the works create a vibrant, multilayered discourse confronting the complexities of postcolonial identity.
As Singapore celebrates its 60th anniversary of independence in 2025, this alliance of five Australian artists—Ilona McGuire (Aboriginal Australian), Brian Robinson (Torres Strait Islander Australian), Tyrown Waigana (Aboriginal Australian), Nazerul Ben-Dzulkefli (Singaporean-Australian), and Desmond Mah (Singaporean-Australian)—alongside two Singaporean artists, Ezzam Rahman and Alya Rahmat, invites viewers to reconsider the weight of history, the role of memory in shaping national identity, and the importance of resisting historical erasure. It calls for ongoing dialogue, where the marks of the past remain indelible, but the futures they shape can be reimagined through allied, creative action.
The exhibition at Art Seasons gallery offers an excellent opportunity for Australian artists to sell their work in Singapore’s growing and dynamic art market while opening doors to potential new opportunities. It also provides a rare chance for Singaporeans to engage with Indigenous Australian art at a grass-roots level, enabling cultural exchange and deeper understanding. The panel discussion at Comma Space aims to further these conversations independently, exploring the shared and divergent colonial histories of Australia and Singapore, and how they continue to shape contemporary cultural identities.
Ilona McQuire (Aboriginal Australian, Whadjuk, Ballardong, Yuat and Kungarakan heritage): McGuire’s work focuses on the use of traditional Aboriginal colours to highlight the ongoing cultural resilience of her people. Her art is a powerful commentary on sovereignty and land rights, critiquing the structures that have long sought to silence Aboriginal voices.
Brian Robinson (Torres Straits Islander Australian of the Maluyligal and Wuthathi tribal groups of the Torres Strait and Cape York Peninsula and a descendant of the Dayak people of Malaysia): Robinson draws on traditional Torres Strait Islander motifs while challenging the erasure of Indigenous knowledge systems. His work reflects on the survival of his culture in the face of colonial suppression.
Tyrown Waigana (Aboriginal Australian of Wadandi Noongar and Ait Koedal peoples): Waigana’s use of humour and contemporary Indigenous aesthetics critiques colonisation while inviting audiences to engage with complex themes of identity, displacement, and resilience.
Nazerul Ben-Dzulkefli (Malay-Singaporean-Australian): Ben-Dzulkefli creates sculptural works exploring themes of longing, belonging, and colonisation, as he navigates his identity as a Singaporean Malay-Javanese migrant in Perth. Using clay, he re-imagines folk Malay and Javanese rituals, spirits, and writing systems of the Nusantara, preserving personal memories and stories of growing up in Singapore.
Ezzam Rahman (Malay-Singaporean): Rahman’s multidisciplinary practice is defined by his use of ephemeral materials such as skin and talcum powder to explore the transient nature of life, the fragility of the body, and personal identity. His works, which range from performance art to delicate sculptures, reflect on mortality, decay, and the passage of time, while also challenging societal norms around beauty and the body. Through these investigations, Rahman critiques the lingering colonial frameworks that continue to shape perceptions of physicality, race, and identity in contemporary Singapore.
Alya Rahmat (Malay-Singaporean): Alya’s multidisciplinary practice includes assemblage and batik making, exploring themes of nation building, colonisation and reclamation through a feminist centric lens to speculate counter-narratives. The nature of her works explores the female identity and the concerns within the Malay-Muslim community, addressing it through appropriation of Nusantaran myths and folklores.
Desmond Mah (Singaporean-Australian): Mah's practice subverts the authoritative aesthetics of natural history illustration and documentary narratives to interrogate colonial histories. By adopting the meticulous detail and objectivity associated with observation, my paintings challenge how colonisation has shaped understandings of nature, land, and identity. The tension between the naturalist style and the subject matter—erased histories, imposed legacies, and ecological disruptions—prompts viewers to question what is preserved, what is lost, and who controls historical narratives.
Activities
1. Group Exhibition at Art Seasons, Singapore, Opening Fri, 19 Sept 2025
Open remarks: HE Allaster Cox (Australian High Commissioner to Singapore) and Mr Edwin Tong (Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth), in development
Artist Talk + Floor Tour: Sun, 21 Sept 2025
Exhibition Duration: Fri, 19 Sept – Sun, 19 Oct 2025
Educational Tour: By appointment with gallery
2. Panel Discussion at Comma Space, Sat, 20 Sept 2025
Moderator: tbc, subject to funding availability
- 7 images, 1 audio
- 2 exhibition reviews, 5 pages total (previous curatorial experiences)
Artist Portfolio
Ilona McQuire, 2022, Holy Ground, performance art
Brian Robinson, 2022, Cursed be the ground for our sake, vinyl cut, 100 x 200 cm
Tyrown Waigana, 2024, Heavy Bottom John, digital Print on Paper, 110 x 77.5 cm
Nazerul_Ben-Dzulkefli, 2024, Instructions For Starting Anew Elsewhere, Stained stoneware, meranti wood, beeswax, dimensons variable
Ezzam Rahman, 2023, It Is Good To Know Who You Are Not 1, artist’s skin, used anti-inflammatory plaster, threaded wire, ball bearing, porcelain bowl, adhesive and epoxy resin, 25 × 10 × 10 cm
Alya Rahmat, 2022, Balada Wanita Melayu Terakhir. (Ballads of the Final Malay Woman), batik and wax. 3.5m x 1m.
Desmond Mah, 2025, The swamp and its spectre, acrylic and mixed media on canvas with QR code to accompanying AI voice,
(H) 84 x (W) 125 cm
The swamp & its spectre audio
Critical Reviews of Desmond Mah's Previous Projects