Still Living Rent-Free, 2025
acrylic and mixed media on canvas with accompanying AI voice via QR code & NFC chip
(H) 126 × (W) 95 × (D) 7 cm
Voice: Philomena Cunk (text-to-audio) with free licensed use of Gymnopédie No. 1 by Erik Satie
Duration: 1 min 31 sec
2026 Asian Sovereign Prize Finalist
Image: artist
Still living rent-free
In this painting, Mah reflects on the psychological residues of national authority and how they persist within personal memory. As a former Singaporean citizen, Mah recalls the daily recitation of the national pledge during childhood schooling, a ritual repeated each morning across Singapore. Through repetition, the pledge functions as a civic statement and also an internalised discipline, shaping the formation of collective identity and loyalty.
The work was produced in 2025, the tenth anniversary of the death of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding Prime Minister and a dominant political figure whose influence continues to shape national narratives. Often described by admirers as shrewd and formidable, Lee’s political presence still occupies a powerful symbolic space in the Singaporean psyche.
The painting depicts a Long-tailed macaque seated within a swamp, attempting to sketch a bust titled The Kiang Man. Frequently characterised as mischievous and instinctive, the macaque hesitates before completing the drawing. This hesitation signals a moment of self awareness and restraint. The animal becomes a proxy for Mah himself, a former Singaporean who positions himself at the margins, negotiating the tension between critique and caution.
Still Living Rent Free examines how authority persists internally, long after its visible structures have passed.
The AI-generated voiceover, performed in the satirical style of Philomena Cunk (British comedian) and accompanied by Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie No. 1, introduces a wry, documentary tone that complicates the image with absurdity and critique.
The work was produced in 2025, the tenth anniversary of the death of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding Prime Minister and a dominant political figure whose influence continues to shape national narratives. Often described by admirers as shrewd and formidable, Lee’s political presence still occupies a powerful symbolic space in the Singaporean psyche.
The painting depicts a Long-tailed macaque seated within a swamp, attempting to sketch a bust titled The Kiang Man. Frequently characterised as mischievous and instinctive, the macaque hesitates before completing the drawing. This hesitation signals a moment of self awareness and restraint. The animal becomes a proxy for Mah himself, a former Singaporean who positions himself at the margins, negotiating the tension between critique and caution.
Still Living Rent Free examines how authority persists internally, long after its visible structures have passed.
The AI-generated voiceover, performed in the satirical style of Philomena Cunk (British comedian) and accompanied by Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie No. 1, introduces a wry, documentary tone that complicates the image with absurdity and critique.