Image size: 89.5 x 59.5 cm
Chua presents this scene from an elevated angle, capturing the bustling activity all the way down the narrow street. Shoppers wind through the market in different directions, some pausing to browse the produce of the vendors beneath the umbrellas. The shoppers are loosely composed in the shape of an “S,” creating a sense of rhythm and flow that adds to the scene’s vibrancy. Chua became acutely aware of Singapore’s changing landscape and disappearing ways of life during the 1970s and 1980s. The urban setting subsequently became a central theme in several of his paintings. In particular, Chua had a special attachment to Chinatown, having lived there when he was young. As the Singapore river was cleaned up, with its industries relocated and replaced, Chua sought to document the Singapore he knew.
