Siapa Nama Saya? (Chinese School Lessons) / 2012 / Oil and silkscreen on wood panel / 122 cm x 244 cm
Chinese School Lessons continues the examination of history, its construction and manipulation. It focuses on the Chinese school student activism of pre- and post-Independence Singapore and the educational reforms affecting Chinese schools.
The artwork consists of a series of 13 blackboards with silk-screened images of Chinese school uniforms, painted flags and texts in English, Chinese and Malay. The images of familiar uniforms and interwoven texts of school mottos, slogans, anthems and idioms, allude to the strong ideals and ideology of these schools, and the interplay of three languages point to the important role of language in the formation of one’s cultural and national identity. Through this poetic yet incisive approach, the artwork leads the viewer to re-examine the official history of the Chinese student activism and educational reforms.
GREEN ZENG 