“The beauty and structural aspects of the human figure have always intrigued me. Drawing them is fundamental to my art. I find it stimulating and challenging to study and discover its
complexities, every time I draw the human figure. It appears to be a never ending journey of exploration and discovery.”
Solamalay Namasivayam (1926 - 2013) was a pioneer generation artist, educator and a central figure to the development of nude painting and figurative art in Singapore, as a founding member of Singaporean art collective, Group 90, which included other prominent artists such as Brother Joseph McNally, Mr. Chia Wai Hon and Mr. Sim Tong Khern. He was a Colombo Plan Scholar and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in Figure Painting/Drawing (1961). He lectured at the Singapore National Institute of Education from 1962 to 1981, at the Singapore Educational Media Service (Ministry of Education) from 1982 to 1985, and at LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts as a Fine Arts and Specialist Lecturer in Figure Drawing from 1987 to 2001. At LASALLE, he introduced ‘‘Life Drawing’’ as a subject into the Fine Arts Curriculum in 1987.
His works are collected by several private collections in Singapore, United Kingdom, Japan and, America and have also entered the Singapore national collection—including two currently on view in the National Gallery Singapore’s newly revamped permanent exhibition.
Last year, the LASALLE McNally School of Fine Arts celebrated Namasivayam’s legacy as a pioneer of figure drawing in Singapore and honoured his generosity as an arts educator at LASALLE by presenting an exemplary range of his artwork and sketchbooks in an exhibition titled Points for Re-Articulation: On Life Drawing in Singapore (Dec 2025 to Jan 2026).
Four of his works are currently on view at the Artscience Museum in Singapore in Flesh and Bones: The Art of Anatomy exhibition, ArtScience Museum’s first collaboration with The Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, USA, one of the world’s leading art centres. Drawing on the historic collection of The Getty and new research developed by ArtScience Museum, Flesh and Bones: The Art of Anatomy is a major exhibition offering a compelling exploration of the human body, tracing how it has been studied, imagined, and understood across cultures and time, and how the intertwined practices of art and science have shaped our understanding of anatomy. The exhibition will run from 21 Mar - 16 Aug 2026.