A major three-venue exhibition will commemorate the 10th anniversary of "The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye," one of Singapore's most influential contemporary cultural works. Running from December 6 to 28, 2025, the retrospective exhibition will showcase original artwork, creative reinterpretations, and historical context across Singapore's Bras Basah-Bugis district, celebrating a decade since Sonny Liew's landmark graphic novel transformed the local literary landscape.
Published in 2015 by Epigram Books, "The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye" presents a metafictional biography of a fictional comic artist whose story parallels and reinterprets Singapore's historical narrative. The novel's innovative blending of history, satire, and comic craft propelled it to both critical acclaim and widespread public resonance, despite initial controversy including the National Arts Council's withdrawal of an S$8,000 grant.
The exhibition spans three distinct locations: Chaos Gallery at Waterloo Centre, Basheer Graphic Books, and InkInk Collectibles in the Bras Basah Complex. Each venue offers unique experiences that explore different aspects of the groundbreaking work. At Chaos Gallery, located within the Knuckles & Notch studio, visitors can explore eight narrative worlds from the novel, including "Ah Huat's Giant Robot," "Bukit Chapalang," "INVASION," and the superhero parody "Roachman."
The gallery will present original ink pages and rare oil paintings of Lee Kuan Yew, Charlie Chan, and his mother, all created by Sonny Liew specifically for the novel. Additional highlights include Roachman covers produced by American master printer Ben Diep, along with exclusive exhibition merchandise and a special collaborative risograph print by Ryan Benjamin Lee and Knuckles & Notch.
At Basheer Graphic Books, the exhibition takes a process-oriented approach, documenting the transformation from thumbnail drafts to final artwork through original pencil sketches and ink drawings. This section highlights Liew's innovative hybrid approach to illustration, which blends analog and digital techniques to produce rich visual textures. The display also pays tribute to comic legends referenced throughout the novel, including Winsor McCay and Osamu Tezuka, allowing visitors to explore how these masters influenced Liew's visual language.
The final section at InkInk Collectibles explores the book's legacy and cultural reach across media and international borders. Visitors will discover original ephemera such as the Ah Huat doll featured in the book and a drawing of a traditional five-foot-way library. The venue showcases nine reimagined book covers by artists from Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and the United States, including work by Bob Layton, known for his contributions to Iron Man, and rising talent Huey Jing, whose introspective, Escher-inspired design reflects the novel's layered themes.
"This anniversary brings forth the hunger for histories written against the grain," said co-curator Nurul Kaiyisah. "It is not just a commemoration, but a gathering of stories that dare to rock the boat of monolithic, national narratives." Co-curator Rachel Lim explained that "the book challenges official state narratives while simultaneously paying homage to comic greats. It's a story about what drives artists to resist, dream, and create, even when society may not support them."
Despite initial setbacks, the graphic novel rapidly became a bestseller and achieved unprecedented recognition. It won Book of the Year at the Singapore Book Awards and made literary history as the first local graphic novel to win the Singapore Literature Prize. The work's international influence expanded through publication by Pantheon Books and was recognized with three prestigious Eisner Awards in 2017.
Admission to all three venues is free, and visitors can participate in a stamp rally across the sites, collecting unique prints of "The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye" each week. The exhibition also features an online design competition inviting submissions using a custom zine cover, with exclusive prizes to be announced. Additional highlights include Liew's Eisner Awards, Yale-NUS student responses to the novel, and concept art from potential film and video game adaptations currently in development. The 10th anniversary edition of the book, exclusive prints, and original artwork will be available for purchase throughout the exhibition period.
