Remembering Lee Kuan Yew- Reflecting and Renewing exhibition at Tanjong Pagar Community Club commemorates Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew (LKY), marking a decade since his passing. Let’s take a visit to the exhibition of Singapore’s founding Prime minster home constituency Community Club (CC).
Furthermore, when stepping into the CC grounds, you will first notice a wall plaque embedded on the exterior wall of the Community Club. The club was opened by LKY himself on 1960. Also, the exhibition is situated in Tanjong Pagar, a constituency Mr. Lee represented for 60 years. Interestingly, the CC venue holds a time capsule buried since 2015. Within it contains time-specific memorabilia from the national mourning period. This capsule is scheduled to be opened in 2065, during Singapore’s centennial celebrations.
Upon entering the Community center’s main hall where the exhibition is being held, you be greeted by a series of panels detailing Mr. Lee’s life and political journey. These displays chronicle his early years, the struggle for independence, and his tenure as Prime Minister.
Here, you can find standees displaying photographs, paintings, and newspaper clippings provide context to his policies and speeches. Notably, most of the paintings and artworks are left uncredited, and probably come from curated private collections.
Also on display and spaced out within the indoor air-conditioned hall are several notable art pieces and photographs that highlighted Mr. Lee’s legacy. These originate from artistic and personal collections. It comprises of a collection of portraits and artwork reflects on Mr. Lee’s leadership and his connections with the Tanjong Pagar community. These items provide insight into his enduring influence on Singapore’s development.
Singapore on Canvas by Ng Peng Sing
Moreover, a significant highlight is the long canvas mural titled “Singapore on Canvas” by local artist Ng Peng Sing. He is a distinguished member of the International Art & Culture Federation. The art mural measures 67 meters in length and 1.7 meters in height, it is draped continuously spanning 3 of the 4 sides of hall perimeter. Also, this hand-drawn artwork took a total of 22 months to complete.
It tad depicts key events, dates, sites, and figures from Singapore’s history spanning tad a timeframe of over 200 years since Sang Nila Utama. Also, the mural painting includes scenes from Singapore’s colonial times, World War Two, the journey towards independence, and its rapid development into a first-world nation under Mr. Lee’s leadership.
Notably, I found the mural ends rather abruptly into a montage of Singapore’s current landmarks. Almost 80% of the mural focused on pre-independence days using archived photo references, but little representation post-independence. Though I felt the painting is more of a constant work-in-progress where new scenes can always be appended onto the mural, rather than a finished product as “it-is” now.
Photographs and paintings
Additionally, the exhibition features a variety of photographs which captured pivotal moments in Mr. Lee’s life and career. Also, I found these images provides a visual narrative of his contributions to Singapore’s development from a third world country, to his diplomatic interactions with global leaders.
Moreover, a notable section focuses on Mr. Lee’s vision of Singapore as a “Garden City.” This concept aimed to integrate greenery into urban planning, promoting a harmonious living environment. The exhibition showcases this through images of tree-planting initiatives and urban development plans.
You can also explore coverage and scenes of old Housing Development Board flats and scenes of early Singapore. These features offer insight into the tangible impacts of his policies. Also, the exhibition also addresses Mr. Lee’s style of governance and covers the achievements and individual efforts of Singapore’s founding prime minster. Still, the exhibition is a commemorative space that celebrates his life and legacy without political overtones.
Lastly, you can also find multimedia such a video montage reflecting on Mr. Lee’s legacy. These personal accounts provide diverse perspectives on his influence across different generations. The room also plays archival footage of his speeches and public appearances.
Wrapping up
All in all, that wraps up our visit to the Remembering LKY Reflecting and Renewing exhibition at Tanjong Pagar Community Club. You are good here for about 1 hours tops, where you can carry on checking out other points of the interests within the Tanjong Pagar area. It offers a comprehensive overview of Lee Kuan Yew’s contributions to Singapore. It makes for an interesting visit to all interested in learning about Singapore’s history and leadership.
The displays tad balances informative content with interactive elements, catering to a broad audience. Do note that the exhibition only runs for a short timeframe from 22 to 23 March 2025. This period aligns with the 10th anniversary of Mr. Lee’s passing. The hall is opened to the public daily from 10 am to 7 pm with free admission.
 Reflecting and Renewing exhibition at Tanjong Pagar CC commemorates SG founding PM a decade since his passing.){kind=link}