In conjunction with Singapore Gallery Month, Yeo Workshop is pleased to present Scenes from Another Life, a group exhibition curated by Chelsea Pettitt, Director of the Bagri Foundation at Gillman Barracks.
The mise-en-scène, a well-known French term that encompasses ‘what is put into the scene’, comes alive in this group exhibition. Featuring four artists Noor Mahnun (Anum), Hoa Dung Clerget, Justin Loke and Shayne Phua, the exhibition invites the visitor to explore a series of scenes which hint at recognisable cultural moments. From famous films to detective novels and pop ballads to Bollywood, each artist manifests a scene from another life.
Commissioned for Checkpoint Theatre gala dinner 2025. Image courtesy of the Artist.
Ceramics, paintings and film are brought into new dialogue with their surroundings, combining historical and personal moments with expanded visions that emanate from the wall and onto the floor. Widely used in cinema, a mise-en-scène is made up of sets, people, lighting and props, arranged in a specific way to tell a story. The artists here were invited to share their cinematic world and allow us to populate their fictional tale. What is the narrative they are trying to convey through this method of ‘setting the scene’? Each object has its place, but what do the colours and patterns tell us? Can we imagine each artist’s state of mind as they materialise this space from their inner world?
Much like a Stephen King novel, Loke’s paintings keep you guessing, from the wayward shoe to the smears of blood – evoking a sense of ‘whodunnit?’. Whilst Phua’s ceramics and curtains invite you to liberate yourself from the confines of a fictional, apathetic Truman Show-like world into one where we take action, as seen in the reconstructed photo of her idealist grandfather with fellow activists.
Anum and Clerget’s worlds are inspired by song and dance, and of celebrations of the women and communities of which they are a part or imagine they can be. Sit with Anum’s joyful domestic colours, patterns and textures whilst enjoying a Bollywood moment or sing along to a Vietnamese anthem in a nail salon whilst celebrating community halls, theatres and restaurants of its diaspora.
Image courtesy of the Artist.
The story is only just beginning to be written. As American poet J.D McClatchy said, “Our prose was, well, / versed in poses no less real for being / mimic rushes of scenes from another life to come.”[1]
This exhibition is part of Yeo Workshop’s annual summer programming, which provides a platform for guest curators, foundations and artists to showcase alternative perspectives in contemporary art. The programme invites audiences to discover and engage with experimental voices outside the gallery’s roster, some of whom have never been exhibited in Singapore before.
[1] https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?volume=130&issue=1&page=34
PUBLIC PROGRAMME
ESPRESSO TOURS
Espresso & Conversation: Curator & Artist-Led Tour of Scenes from Another Life
Saturday 15 August 2026, 2 – 4 pm
Yeo Workshop, Gillman Barracks
Enjoy an espresso while artists Shayne Phua, Justin Loke, and Noor Mahnun (Anum) lead an intimate tour of Scenes from Another Life, sharing the stories, inspirations, and processes behind their works.
ARTISTS TALK
Scenes from Another Life: Artist talk with curator Chelsea Pettitt, Noor Mahnun (Anum), Justin Loke, Shayne Phua and Hoa Dung Clerget
Thursday 27 August, 8 – 9 pm
Online
ARTISTS AND CURATOR BIOGRAPHIES
NOOR MAHNUN (b. 1964, Malaysia), also known as ANUM, is known for adapting the traditional technique of oil painting into a style that has been praised for its simplicity and meticulousness. Beneath their guide of naivety and delicacy are carefully crafted compositions that weave subtle psychological narratives with dark wit and emotional depth. Born in Kelantan, Anum trained in architecture in the United States before pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in painting at Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Braunschweig, Germany in 1996. Anum was artist-in-residence at Rimbun Dahan in Kuang, Selangor (2000-2001) and received a scholarship from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a printmaking course at Il Bisonte, Florence (2002-2003). During her time in Europe, she held solo shows in Florence and across Germany, and upon returning to Malaysia, became an active figure in the local art scene—not only as an artist, but also as a curator, educator, and arts manager. This year, her works were showcased at Painting Itself, ANU Drill Hall Gallery in Canberra and in Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts in Australia. Recent solo exhibitions include ‘ANUM’, Yeo Workshop, Singapore (2025); ‘September’, The Back Room, Kuala Lumpur (2021); ‘Disco Lombok Still Life’, The Edge Galerie, Kuala Lumpur (2017).
JUSTIN LOKE (b. 1979, Singapore) is a multidisciplinary artist and curator known for his storytelling-driven works, which blend installation, painting, theatre, and curatorial practice. He is the director of Vertical Submarine, an art collective acclaimed for its interdisciplinary projects.
Loke’s notable achievements include receiving the JCCI Japan Foundation Arts Award in 2009. He was also the creative director and writer of Cathay Hotel: The Curse of the Missing Red Shoe, the highlight act of the 2022 Singapore Night Festival. In 2023, he curated Benchmarks, a placemaking initiative commissioned by the Civic District Alliance. More recently, he completed an artist residency and exhibition at the Points Center for Contemporary Arts in Shanghai-Suzhou, organised by the Troy Foundation, London. He also curated Creative Intersections: Traces of Dragons at Funan Mall, as well as 8-Bit Word Cloud, a public art installation for the National Gallery Singapore’s Light to Night Festival during Singapore Art Week 2024. Vertical Submarine has received numerous awards, including the President’s Young Talent Award (Singapore, 2009), the Celeste Prize (New York, 2011), and finalist recognition for the Sovereign Asian Art Prize (Hong Kong, 2015). Featured in ROUNDTABLE at the 9th Gwangju Biennale, the collective’s work is distinguished by a distinctive visual narrative style that has garnered international recognition and acclaim. Loke will present a solo exhibition at Yeo Workshop in January 2027, coinciding with Singapore Art Week.
SHAYNE PHUA (b. 1997, Singapore) uses the medium of clay to narrate stories and turn a critical eye on everyday realities. Her ceramic objects employ history, myth and literature to reflect on the world around her. She graduated with a BA(Hons) in Communication Design from The Glasgow School of Art, Singapore. Phua enjoys observing the forms and functions of utilitarian objects. Her work focuses on these aspects of ceramics as the vehicle for exploring a host of discourses, including oral traditions, folklore, historical anecdote and socio-political ideologies. In a world increasingly flattened out by social media and cultural homogenisation, her practice is premised on a keen interest in the local and often overlooked – a register of things and tales that flicker beneath public attention. In 2019, Shayne was an Artist in Residence at Zentrum für Keramik in Berlin and Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Center in Denmark. She participated in ‘Blended Tongue’ in Paris, featuring works of artists based in Singapore and France, along with botanical installations by This Humid House in 2022. The following year, she exhibited her works in a group show, ‘New Makers,’ in Bangkok, featuring Thai and Singaporean artists. She held a first solo exhibition with Yeo Workshop in 2024.
HOA DUNG CLERGET (b. 1985, France), creates films, installations, and painted objects that explore the labour and lives of immigrant women and the Nail Art subculture. Her Vietnamese heritage and education in France have shaped her research into how immigrant women construct their identities and find their place in society, especially through their work. Her practice reflects her own diasporic experience. At the heart of her work is the ongoing process of identity reconstruction. Clerget draws on Homi Bhabha’s concept of the liminal space, an in-between where diasporic identity is constructed through hybridisation, through the refusal of fixed categories, and through the subversion of imposed norms. The artist sees this constant negotiation in the lives of immigrant women, whether in domestic or professional spaces. The materials and objects Clerget integrates into her work come directly from the everyday lives of Vietnamese families: brooms, plastic stools, durian, folk songs, seemingly mundane elements that carry deep cultural significance, passed down through generations. By repurposing these objects, she challenges their meaning and status, using art as a tool to reverse situations.
CHELSEA PETTITT, a curator originally from California, is Director of the Bagri Foundation in London where she cultivates space for Asian arts and culture. Recent and forthcoming curatorial projects for the Foundation include the Springboard Exhibition with Nomin Zezegmaa at Sy Cyprian’s, Myths, Dreams and New Realities at the Saatchi Gallery and the Bagri Samaya Series. After living in Beijing in 2005, she graduated from Goldsmiths College London with an MA in Visual Anthropology focussing on contemporary Chinese arts and culture. Pettitt was previously the Bagri Foundation’s Head of Arts where she initiated or supported many arts and cultural projects such as the Bagri Commission at the Hayward Gallery, Chang/ce, Untold: Write Afghanistan, Rebel Rebel by Soheila Sokhanvari at Barbican, Asia Forum and Object, Story, Wonder: Museums Collections Revealed. Prior to this she was Head of Partnerships at Wysing Arts Centre where she curated and assisted on national and international exhibitions and projects and Assistant Curator at the Hayward Gallery and Hayward Touring for many years, producing and curating such touring exhibitions. She speaks widely on panels, has contributed to exhibition catalogues and art magazines and is a board member of Untold Narratives, a development programme for writers structurally marginalised by community or conflict.
ABOUT YEO WORKSHOP
Yeo Workshop is a gallery committed to contemporary art in Singapore. Based in the Gillman Barracks district, it champions a diverse roster of artists whose practices reflect deep engagement with our contemporary socio-cultural landscape, to stimulate dialogue and critical discourse, including several Southeast Asian artists who are producing cutting-edge works. Covering a multi-disciplinary approach and collaborative spirit, the gallery defines itself by its progressive engagements that strive to shape the trajectory of contemporary art in Southeast Asia and beyond.
ABOUT THE BAGRI FOUNDATION
The Bagri Foundation, established in 1990 in London, UK, is a family foundation driven by curiosity. Through grants and strategic partnerships, the Foundation champions unique ideas that weave the traditional and the contemporary of Asian culture. Recent and forthcoming projects include Myths, Dreams and New Realities featuring 13 emerging Asian artists co-curated with the Saatchi Gallery (2025); a co-production, Thikra: Night of Remembering, by Akram Khan Company (2025-27); Bagri Springboard commission by Nomin Zezegmaa at St Cyprian’s Church, London (2026) and the Bagri Commission by Gulnur Mukazhanova at the Whitworth, Manchester (2026). Additionally, the family continues to support education, relief work, development and healthcare.
ABOUT SINGAPORE GALLERY MONTH
Presented by the Art Galleries Association Singapore (AGAS), Singapore Gallery Month 2026 is a citywide celebration of contemporary art, and a great way to explore the world of collecting. Bringing together over 30 leading galleries over 5 weeks, this year’s edition features an exciting line-up of exhibitions, talks, tours, workshops, performances, and more – alongside exclusive experiences such as Collectors’ Home Tours and opportunities to meet artists and fellow collectors.
>> AGAS I Singapore Gallery Month
Venue
Gillman Barracks
47 Malan Road
#01-25
Singapore 109444
Artists
Noor Mahnun (Anum) (MY), Hoa Dung Clerget (VN/UK), Justin Loke (SG), Shayne Phua (SG)
Exhibition Dates
August 15 – October 11, 2026
Gallery Hours
Tuesday – Saturday | 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sundays | 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Website
https://www.yeoworkshop.com/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/yeoworkshop/
Contact
info@yeoworkshop.com
(Text and images courtesy of Yeo Workshop)
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