The arrival of Impressionist masterpieces in Singapore invites more than admiration. It pushes us to reconsider why European modernists have long held a mythic place in our imagination while Southeast Asia’s own modernist painters remain secondary in popular memory. Regional artists transformed impressionism through tropical light, cultural nuance and lived realities that produced a distinct modernism of equal significance. The question is not whether they measure up to the Western canon, but why they have been left out of the conversation for so long.

Maqbool Fida Husain (1915-2011), often called the "Picasso of India," transformed Indian mythology into bold modern art through sweeping strokes and vivid colors. His dynamic depictions of Hindu goddesses and symbols reimagined ancient myths for contemporary viewers, though his modernist approach sparked controversy and years of self-exile. In 2025, his work achieved record-breaking auction sales, including his Gram Yatra at USD 13.8 million. Today, Husain's fierce, unrelenting vision remains woven into India's visual memory, asking how we can honor our myths while seeing them anew.

In a moment that startled the paddock and the galleries alike, Lewis Hamilton revealed he had sold his entire car collection and was turning his attention to art — keeping only the idea of the Ferrari F40 as something he might admire as an object of design. That admission sets the frame for a deeper conversation about figures in motorsport and how they might turn to art for both enjoyment and investment.

What does it mean for a young nation to collect its own reflection? Since 1960, Singapore has been answering this question one artwork at a time, assembling not just paintings and sculptures, but fragments of identity itself. From Chuah Thean Teng's pioneering batik paintings to contemporary digital installations, Singapore's National Art Collection reveals the choices a nation makes about itself: what to preserve, what to show, who gets remembered. As Singapore commemorates SG60, we explore how art collecting became an act of sovereignty, cultural determination, and national dialogue.