Samsui woman mural reactions: Women's group AWARE, artist Yip Yew Chong weigh in on debate

Women's rights group AWARE and famed mural artist Yip Yew Chong have weighed in on the debate surrounding a Chinatown mural featuring a smoking samsui woman.

This comes after the mural's artist Sean Dunston took to Instagram to reveal that the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) had asked him to erase the cigarette from the artwork. He added that the agency said it had received feedback from a member of public who claimed that the mural was "offensive and disrespectful" to samsui women.

According to the member of public, "the woman depicted in this mural looks more like a prostitute than a hardworking samsui woman.”

After Dunston's post went viral, URA announced on Jun 22 that it was "re-evaluating its position" due to public feedback.

In an Instagram post on Jun 23, artist Yip Yew Chong said he believed that Dunston's work was not offensive, neither was it promoting smoking.

In his post, Yip wrote: "In reality, samsui women indeed smoked a lot and had many personalities, being human. It is not impossible for a young, freshly migrated samsui woman to smoke and sit like that. We cannot be too stereotypical and expect certain occupations must have only a specific look and no others."

"Art's intention is a much wider than to document actual history or beautify a place. It is primarily intended to draw emotions, thoughts and conversations."

Yip shared his own experience with authorities, saying he believes the government agencies dealing with urban art are "all made up of well-meaning individuals who are just doing their jobs to maintain societal order and urban control."

He added: "As an artist, I do wish governmental censorship is more relaxed in Singapore, and I can exercise less self-censorship too ... As society demographics, attitudes and global information accessibility change, the authorities will have to review their censorship and enforcement stance to catch up.

"As Singapore is also aiming for a thriving arts scene, it will be a delicate balance. Regardless, approvals and censorship should be based on principles and not be perceived to be based on public complaints as thought to be in many past cases."

In a social media post on Jun 24, AWARE stated that it welcomed the discourse surrounding the saga and appreciated that URA was considering public feedback.

On the artwork, the organisation said the depiction of the samsui woman diverged "significantly from the historical reality of these resilient labourers".

"In the mural, she is shown holding a cigarette in a glamorous way that does not reflect the gritty and harsh realities faced by the samsui women. This artistic choice may inadvertently perpetuate a male gaze that exoticises female subjects, which could detract from a true appreciation of their contributions.

"While we champion artistic freedom, we also believe it is crucial for artistic interpretations to engage thoughtfully with their subjects and contexts. We encourage a portrayal that more accurately reflects the robust and rugged spirit of the samsui women, ensuring their story is told with the respect and authenticity it deserves."

AWARE also expressed its concerns that "URA justified its decision by citing public feedback that the woman looked like a prostitute".

"This statement supports damaging, patriarchal stereotypes about how women should act and look, and is disrespectful to sex workers."

In an earlier statement to media, URA said the original decision was due to the fact that the mural had been painted without approval and was not in line with the government’s anti-smoking policy stance.

The remark from the member of the public about the woman looking like a prostitute was cited in Dunston's initial Instagram post as feedback to the building owner.

A day later, AWARE posted a clarification on their earlier statement saying it had shared “some views that.. needed to be thought out”. Describing the mural debate as a “complex issue”, they said that “our intent was never to encourage censorship of the arts” and reached out to the artist to find out more about the decision behind the portrayal.

“Sean shared that he deliberately made her less roughed up than other portrayals, and that he made a choice of not portraying her as toughened, weathered, poor.”

“Some people wondered whether we were saying that there is only one way of portraying samsui women and only specific ways that they can behave. We were not, and we apologise for not being clear about this.”

Speaking to CNA earlier, Dunston said that he was thankful that URA was taking another look at its decision, and he hopes that the authority will allow the mural to remain as it is now.

"It’s important that the public feedback (URA uses) to regulate images seen in public be more even-handed (or at least less offensive than the art it’s criticising) and that enforcement of policy regarding art, in particular, be more nuanced and geared towards supporting art and discussion," he said.