NHCS has introduced art at its building to bring smiles to heart patients. A series of paintings and sculptures are displayed at the outpatient facility to inject a burst of colour into the clinical environment.
- Sculptures created by heart patient and local artist KY Huang and his son will be featured in the art exhibition
- Centred on the theme “Life in Colour”, colourful art pieces and motifs from nature are specially selected to complement the healing garden concept at NHCS
- Internationally renowned artist, David Gerstein, creator of Singapore’s tallest public sculpture “Momentum” among group of artists whose works are displayed at NHCS
The National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) has introduced art at its 12-storey building to bring smiles to heart patients. A series of paintings and sculptures are displayed at the NHCS outpatient facility to inject a burst of colour into the clinical environment. The art pieces centred on the theme “Life in Colour”, range from the whimsical to the contemplative, with borrowed motifs from nature’s flora and fauna.
“We wanted to brighten up our outpatient facility with splashes of colour to make the patients’ experience more pleasant and interesting. The featured art pieces also complement our healing garden concept at NHCS,” said Adjunct Professor Terrance Chua, Medical Director, NHCS.
Mr Ng Kee Yam, a heart patient of NHCS is among the group of artists featured in the exhibition. Better known as KY Huang in the arts circle, he will be holding a two-week art exhibition at NHCS to showcase his series of works that capture the spirit of fun, play and graceful movements of the human body.
Mr Ng suffered a massive heart attack in 1997 and was found to have significant blockages in his coronary arteries due to accumulated cholesterol plaque. He was then implanted with heart stents to open up the blockages, but years later the vessels closed up again and he underwent a coronary artery bypass graft surgery in 2004 and another two stenting procedures in 2013. His heart now functions at about 25 per cent – about half the capacity of a normal person – and he has been implanted with an automated implantable cardioverter defibrillator to prevent sudden death associated with poor heart function. Despite his medical history, Mr Ng has never lost focus on his life’s passion.
“I believe that art can be a form of therapy,” said the 67-year-old father of two, “Art has given me a purpose in life, and that is to create works of art that will make people smile.”
Mr Ng’s son, Andrew, 37, is also a budding artist and his sculptures will be displayed as part of his father’s exhibition at NHCS, alongside other colourful works of art strategically placed within the outpatient facility.
Renowned award-winning sculptor David Gerstein is another artist whose works will be displayed at NHCS. His iridescent wall sculptures are founded on vibrant flurries of butterflies and cyclists, which add to the therapeutic ambience of the outpatient clinics and NHCS’ advocacy on leading a healthy and active lifestyle. Gerstein is also the creator of Singapore’s tallest public sculpture, “Momentum”, located at Finlayson Green.
A documentary film maker turned artist, Anu Malhotra prefers letting the blank canvas and spontaneous inspiration guide her creative hand without the use of sketches or drafts of any sort. She draws on her memories of her journeys across India, her motherland, in materialising her polychromatic creations. Her paintings on floral and surreal themes are part of the exhibition at NHCS, inviting patients and visitors to develop their own interpretations of the interwoven colours.
The art pieces from Bruno Gallery will be displayed at NHCS for a period of six months from 26 November 2015 to 25 May 2016.
