Shayne Phua

1963 Death of Democracy recalls the Cold War period in Singapore, when the dominant party 'won' its place through labelling political opponents as communists and detaining them without trial. The work makes a direct reference to the year 1963, when leaders of the now-defunct politcal party, Barisan Sosialis, were arrested. Shayne Phua signals the need to challenge the supposed objectivity of history, which is often underpinned by an underlying state-dictated narrative. One side of the ceramic vessel reflest the logo of Barisan Sosialis, while the other is a flower garland made using vintage pastry moulds from East Asian culture. Phua also utilised the brass stamping of Medusa with gold lustre to symbolise victim blaming. Till today, prominent members of Barisan Sosialis are still being accused of various incidents in the state official narrative to justify their arrest in the past. 1963 Death of Democracy also features letters cut out individually in a font reflective of the period in the 60s.