About the artwork
Croydon is the largest borough in London in terms of population, it is located in the south. The borough consists of a historic town located in the centre, with red-brick buildings such as the old Croydon town hall and Addington Palace - a mansion constructed in the 18th century that formerly housed six archbishops, serving as their second residence. The rows of historic high street shops have become interspersed with high-rise buildings and office blocks given commercialisation of the area. Hong Sek Chern demonstrates this by placing the old buildings with their beautiful facades at the fore of the picture and vestiges of office buildings encroaching upon them from the edges, signifying the splendour of the older architecture and how it threatens to be overtaken by modernity.
About the artist
Hong Sek Chern (b.1967) graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, followed by an MA in Fine Art from Goldsmiths College, University of London. Sek Chern’s Chinese ink interpretations of the Singapore urban landscape have won her several awards, including the 26th UOB Painting of the Year Grand Prize. She was recipient of the Young Artist Award from the National Arts Council and was selected to represent Singapore at the 25th Sao Paolo Biennale. Her works are part of several institutions and prestigious collections, including Singapore Art Museum, Taipei Fine Art Museum, and the National Arts Council (Singapore)