Market Activity

by artist Chang Kim Ngoh

This lively work captures the bustling rhythm of a traditional market scene in the 1980s and 90s, where everyday commerce becomes a vivid tapestry of community life. Part of a series reflecting nostalgic glimpses of local culture, Market Activity portrays a fruit and vegetable stall surrounded by customers carefully selecting fresh produce, their movements animated by the quiet urgency of daily routines. At the heart of the composition, three chubby, cherubic women, one of whom wears distinctive red clogs, a hallmark of Chang Kim Nghoh’s signature style, anchor the scene with a sense of cultural identity and continuity. Through expressive brushwork and intimate observation, Kim Nghoh elevates this ordinary moment into a celebration of heritage, memory, and the enduring charm of shared public spaces.

Medium: Oil on stretched canvas

Size: 51 cm x 61 cm

Framed: No. If you would like this artwork framed, please enquire at social@artdis.org.sg

About Chang Kim Ngoh

Kim Ngoh graduated with a Diploma in Fine Art from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in 1970, specialising in watercolour painting. She obtained her second Diploma in oil painting in 1980 from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Halifax, Canada. Since her return to Singapore, Kim Ngoh has been working full-time as a professional artist. Her home is also her studio where she paints vivid scenes from the past. Her favourite subjects are the old Malay kampungs depicting the carefree and simple life common during Singapore’s colonial days. In 1998, Kim Ngoh bagged the Phillip Morris ASEAN Art Distinction Award and in 2000, she received the Very Special Arts Gold Award. Kim Ngoh has also worked on corporate commissions for The American Club and The Plaza Fitness and Spa.