VIRTUAL TOUR
ART IN TRANSIT
Learn about the art in our MRT stations
“20 years later, I’m so happy coming back and standing in front of the art, seeing the travellers and the passers-by”
Hear From the Artist
Sun Yu-Li
Universal Language, 2003
NE6 Dhoby Ghaut
Sun Yu-Li combines his passion for art and architectural background to present an art scheme based on the universal language he discovered. His works comprises 180 individual pieces featuring motifs sand-blasted on floor tiles that are spread throughout the six routes to the station. To celebrate the arrival of commuters at the heart of the station, the artist created a vibrant floor mosaic at basement 2. This floor mosaic is paired with a stunning glass mosaic wall mural. As a finishing touch, the artist also created 14 glass plates for columns along the entrance routes.
Sun’s final concept harks back to a passion he has nurtured for 25 years - the idea of using his universal language of meta-patterns, signs and messages that has its root in the art of all early civilisations. Over the course of his career the artist has explored this idea of the universal language in different works and mediums, from bronze sculptures to large-format paintings. Sun used icons such as the hunter, the dancer, the rider, the animal, the fish and the bird as a means of way-finding. Sun wanted his artwork to resonate with all commuters and therefore chose to focus on a “Universal Language” that draws inspiration from prehistoric art.
Sun Yu-Li
b. 1948, China
Sun Yu-Li is a Chinese-born architect and artist based in Singapore, who is known for his innovative and expressive works that explore the human form and the natural world. A self-taught artist who began his career in the 1960s, at a time when the art scene was just beginning to develop, he quickly established himself as a leading sculptor in the country, creating works that combined traditional Chinese techniques with modern Western approaches.
Sun is the Founder of Sculpture Square in Singapore and has served as an Advisor to the Singapore Sculpture Society since 2001. In 2006, he founded Emily Hill Artist Village and remains a core member of The Artist Village today. He has also been a member of the Singapore Art Society since 1996 and the Modern Art Society since 1998. Sun has served as the National Arts Council’s Resources Panel Member and an Advisor to the Urban Redevelopment Authority for the Marina Bay Youth Olympic Park.
He has worked on large-scale projects both locally and internationally, most notably in Venice and Prague, which mainly focus on the community aspects of art making and involve numerous participants contributing and creating art alongside him.