Lim Leong Seng
Samsui Woman (A)
Bronze
68x26x19cm
AP2
2008
SOLD
The Samsui women (named after Sanshui, Guangdong Province, China) were settlers who were driven by poverty to search for construction jobs in Singapore during the 1920s. Their lives were hard and frugal, living together in cramped conditions at upper Chin Chew Street. Whatever little money they earned, they would save for their families back home. Through their labour and sacrifices, they played a large role in Singapore’s early development as a modern nation.
Lim Leong Seng has made multiple series of sculptures which are inspired by the figure of the Samsui Woman. They include the “Daily Life” series completed in 2015 to commemorate SG50 as well as the “Forgotten Memories” series in 2019.
Lim Leong Seng has also created sculptures out of repurposed everyday objects. One of which includes a piece titled “New Era” in 1976. It was remade in 2022 and exhibited at the show “Nothing is Forever: Rethinking Sculpture in Singapore” organised by the National Gallery Singapore. Mr Lim also had a book launch titled “Lim Leong Seng: Journey from the Wilderness” at the National Gallery Singapore during November 2022.
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