This presentation shares a practice-led research project developed during an artist residency in Kampong Gelam, Singapore. The work grew out of time spent walking, observing, listening, and sketching within the neighbourhood. It asks how art can respond to place not only as a heritage site or tourist destination, but as a living community shaped by memory, faith, and everyday struggle. At its core, the project seeks to remind viewers of the Muslim heritage embedded in Kampong Gelam. It pays homage to the Malay Muslim printing and publishing houses that once shaped the growth of Islamic literature in the region, and recalls the area’s role as a centre of intellectual exchange in Southeast Asia. Through the format of a risalah, or message, presented as a small hand-distributed pamphlet of drawings and reflections, the work reconnects with this culture of circulation and shared knowledge. In line with the spirit of the Friday sermon, the act of distribution becomes a quiet gesture of solidarity and care. Conversations with marginalised individuals inform the visual and written content, grounding the project in lived experience. Guided by foundational teachings from the Quran and Hadith, the work reflects on sincerity, ethical conduct, and the cleansing of the heart. Ultimately, it asks how artistic practice might help us become a community that sees one another more clearly and cares more deeply.

Authors:
Erzan bin Adam, LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore

About the Presenter(s)
Erzan bin Adam, lecturer and artist at LASALLE College of the Arts, focuses on abstraction in text and language. He explores translation, identity, and social history while leading the Diploma in Fine Arts and promoting inclusive teaching practices.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule

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