Like the region itself, contemporary art from Singapore and Southeast Asia is diverse, dynamic and multifaceted, possessing its own distinctive aesthetics and artistic traditions shaped by different approaches to art-making and practices. With this in mind, SAM has been building a stellar collection of contemporary Southeast Asian art. SAM’s acquisitions policy devotes 80% of funds to Southeast Asian art, and the remaining 20% to the wider Asian region, such as China, India, Korea and Japan to provide a broader cultural context for the core collection.

An artwork is acquired for its artistic merits and innovation, as well as what it may reveal or reflect of wider developments in art and society. The artists represented in the SAM collection fall into three broad groups: the ‘pioneering’ contemporary artists or ones associated with avant-garde practices, mid-career artists, and emerging practitioners. Through its acquisition policy and continued funding support from the government, individuals and corporate donors, SAM is able to include iconic works of art in its collection, encourage artists to create important new works through artist commissions and showcase the best in contemporary art from the region.

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Status by Jane Lee     Mang Emo + Mag-himo Grand Piano Project by Alwin Reamillo     Dear Cai Xiong (A Letter From Ho Ho Ying, 1972) by Cheo Chai Hiang     The Western Light No. 1 by Natee Utarit     Sulu Stories by Yee I-Lann

Circle by Sima Salehi     The Farmers & The Helicopters by Dinh Q. Lê     I Want To Live Another Thousand Years by Agus Suwage     Expense of Spirit in a Waste of Shame by Suzann Victor     Imagination Sphere by Nge Lay