SINGAPORE: A mural of a cigarette-holding Samui became a topic of huge controversy in Singapore. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has requested the artist responsible for a controversial mural to postpone making any alterations to the artwork while the authority reevaluates its position regarding potential changes to the mural.
On June 21st, in response to the public outcry, URA’ ordered to erase a smoking cigarette from the mural, located at 297 South Bridge Road, opposite Maxwell MRT station.
The URA also mentioned an anonymous complainant who compared the depicted woman to a “prostitute” and described the mural as “offensive”.
Singapore-based American artist Sean Dunston was hastily making adjustments to his artwork in response to the URA’s directive, which set a deadline of July 3 for submitting a revised proposal. The URA also cited concerns about the potential loss of the temporary permit of the business operating there, Ya Kun Kaya Toast, which expires on July 27.
As a result, Dunston had then suggested drawing over the cigarette with a kitten, a taco, or an opium pipe on Instagram.
However, URA has temporarily asked for the mural of the smoking samsui woman to stay on the walls of the historic area where the pioneering migrant labourers once lived – where it was defended in a Reddit thread citing archival sources as historically accurate.
Mural Controversy: URA Requests Delay Amid Public Debate
Many online commenters said the mural was a recognition of samsui women’s labour and lives. They believed that erasing the cigarette in the mural amounted to historical revisionism.
“Why are we trying to change history?”, one Reddit user questioned.
Indie Singapore Tours, which conducts tours in Chinatown, commented on Dunston’s Instagram post, stating that samsui women “do back-breaking work, with their only respite their laced ciggies”.
The group commented, “The mural is one of their guests’ favourites.”
In an email update to the landlord, represented by Shepherd Asset Management, dated June 21, the URA stated that it had “acknowledged additional feedback concerning the mural.” The URA asked the landlord “to delay any works to the mural until the review is completed” in the e-mail. Therefore, the e-mail did not provide a timeline for the review.
Shepherd’s spokesperson previously informed that it had not applied for prior approval for the mural, which was completed in early April, but submitted an application on April 19.
On May 8th, The URA responded, claiming that identifying smoking is an issue, and requested that Shepherd resubmit a proposal by May 22. Shepherd did not meet the latter deadline.
Before this re-evaluation, the URA had determined that “the depiction of smoking on the unauthorised mural is not aligned with Singapore’s anti-smoking policy” following discussions with stakeholders and relevant agencies.
Mural Controversy: Public Support Grows For Artist
Arts Nominated Member of Parliament Usha Chandradas said, “This particular work speaks to the migrant worker experience in Singapore, which is very much a contemporary concern. I can see value in it being presented in such an unvarnished way as it prompts reflection and conversation about how we view and interact with migrant workers in our society today.”
On Facebook, Singaporean activist Kirsten Han wrote that calling the depicted woman a prostitute “says so much more about how you view young working women than it says about the artwork”.
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“Sex work is work,” Non-profit organisation Project X, which provides support to sex workers, rebuked the discrimination against sex workers and commented on Dunston’s Instagram post.
Since the controversy with the URA, Dunston said he had received even more positive feedback from the public. The Artist said on the authority’s decision to re-evaluate its stance on the mural “I’m hopeful that they’ll take the context and history into consideration.”
Therefore, he said he will not be modifying the mural for now and will await more information from the authorities.
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