Graffiti News

More art has not removed suspicion

Singapore's growing street art scene still encounters unease over who can change a shared space. In CNA's reporting, available on June 20, 2026, artists describe a city with more commissioned murals and opportunities to perform, but persistent caution towards unexpected creative activity. For people following murals, the distinction matters: a larger collection of painted walls does not necessarily mean a wider range of artistic expression.

Visual artist and educator Mohammed Zulkarnaen Othman, known as ZERO, recalled a primary school pupil asking whether he was vandalising a wall while he painted a school mural. The encounter illustrates how even an organised project can be read through assumptions about graffiti and damage.

In May 2026, a temporary pavement drawing being made with a pressure washer by Marcus Pang outside Mountbatten MRT station was removed after a public complaint. A separate dispute in 2024 concerned a mural showing a samsui woman smoking. The Urban Redevelopment Authority initially sought removal of the cigarette, then allowed the image to remain after considering different views. The building owner nevertheless received a S$2,000 fine for proceeding without prior approval.

Commissions create opportunities and cautious choices

Institutional support has given artists audiences, while practitioners say caution can narrow what appears on walls. According to CNA, the Land Transport Authority's Art in Transit programme began along the North-East Line in 1997 and expanded across the rail networks. More than 500 artworks have involved commissioned artists and programme partners. This is a substantial setting for encountering art during everyday journeys.

Street artist Sam Lo, also known as SKL0, recognises an artist's responsibility towards people sharing public space. Lo also describes self-censorship around subjects including cigarettes, nudity, profanity, politics and LGBTQ themes. Nostalgia, food and hawkers consequently recur as familiar subjects. Lo values those images but wants room for social reflection and individual artistic voices.

Muralist Muhammad Taufiq Rosle, known as Boon Bakes, told CNA that prospective clients scrutinise shapes and colours because they worry about public interpretations. The resulting tension is part of how a mural is made, before any viewer encounters the finished wall. Looking beyond subject matter to the relationship between artist, commissioner and audience helps explain why visual variety can remain limited despite growing demand.

Scarce practice walls make work vulnerable to replacement

Limited space for experimentation can shorten a painting's life, according to Taufiq. He estimated that Singapore had only four or five public walls where artists could paint without seeking prior permission. That is a practitioner's account, rather than an official inventory. He said work on those walls is frequently covered by another artist looking for somewhere to practise.

Taufiq's collective also travels to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. In Jakarta, he described asking building owners directly for permission and receiving an enthusiastic welcome. His account points to negotiation with owners and neighbours as part of street art culture, alongside formal commissioning.

For mural followers, replacement changes how a location should be understood. A photograph records a particular version of a wall; it cannot establish that the same image remains available to see. A visit can also reveal the relationship between a painting, its surrounding architecture and the people using the space. These are useful ways to read the scene without treating every mural as a permanent attraction.

Shared spaces require negotiation as well as permission

Artists and officials interviewed by CNA agree that public art must account for the everyday use of its setting. Mountbatten Member of Parliament Gho Sze Kee argues that advance consultation can prevent conflicts over difficult subjects. Muralist Danielle Tay describes spontaneity within commissioned work: a passer-by's childhood memories of an area changed her experience of painting a heritage mural.

Art consultant Angeline Tong of HOL Experiences offers another explanation for public hesitation. People accustomed to curated surroundings may focus first on whether an unexpected work belongs there. That reading leaves room to discuss process and ownership without assuming every objection expresses hostility to art.

CNA reports that no single authority handles all wall and pavement mural permissions. Conserved buildings require owner endorsement and Urban Redevelopment Authority approval. In 2026, a commissioned batik mural at 59 Arab Street was ordered removed under restrictions on conserved shophouse front facades, which protect architectural and heritage features; Haji Lane was identified as an exception. The removed mural should therefore be understood as a regulatory example rather than a confirmed viewing stop.

For an art walk, the rail network's public art provides a documented starting point. Explore nearby murals on Wallscape's map, considering each work's setting and the possibility of changes since it was recorded.

Source: CNA