Singapore's pop star JJ Lin appointed as art ambassador

Singaporean singer-songwriter JJ Lin was appointed as art ambassador of the National Gallery Singapore on Wednesday.

JJ Lin selected Singaporean performance artist Lee Wen's " Journey of A Yellow Man No. 11: Multi-culturalism", an artwork that resonated with his life as a traveling artist who produces music for an international audience.

JJ Lin said the stillness of the subject in Lee Wen's artwork makes him reflect, to always find balance in this ever-changing and fast-moving modern society. He also mentioned that he often find himself having to work much harder to connect on the same level with the local people as a Singaporean living in a foreign city.

This is part of the gallery's first line-up initiatives named " My Masterpiece Campaign", which aims to bring Singaporeans closer to their arts heritage leading up to the opening of National Gallery Singapore in November this year.

In the campaign, the gallery has continuously unveiled significant artworks that were created by artists from Singapore and Southeast Asia and personally chosen by 12 art ambassadors, who express their unique connection with these artworks. The other ambassadors in the campaign include distinguished writer professor Edwin Thumboo, popular MediaCorp actress Joanne Peh and so on.

National Gallery Singapore is a new visual arts institution which oversees the largest public collection of modern art of Singapore and Southeast Asia. The gallery has been restored and transformed from the former Supreme Court and City Hall buildings, two important heritage buildings of Singapore's nationhood, into a new visual arts venue. The gallery planned to be open on Nov. 24, 2015. Endi