Masturah Sha’ari is an art historian and co-founder of Maya Gallery. She is also president of Angkatan Pelukis Aneka Daya (APAD)— an association of Malay artists in Singapore, established in 1962, and an exco member of The Singapore Arts Federation. She holds a MA in Asian Art Histories from LASALLE College of the Arts, where her research focuses on the collective efforts of Malay artists and societies during Singapore’s post-war period. She has curated exhibitions, produced catalogues, spoken at museums and institutions, mentored female university students, and once taught art and drawing at a local polytechnic. A self-taught artist, Masturah creates abstract expressions, often reflecting her emotional responses to her life experiences, relationships, and motherhood. Her works have been exhibited at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, Affordable Art Fair Singapore, Art Expo Malaysia, Pan Pacific Hotel Hanoi, and Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum in Hanoi.
“Creating art allows me to go on a journey of emotion and discovery. Each brushstroke and mark is a reflection of freedom, each canvas a space where memories, emotions, and landscapes merge. Through abstraction, I seek not just to paint, but to feel, to connect, and to create my soulful sanctuary. In creating, I embrace the unknown, letting colours, textures and forms guide me toward places beyond imagination, within the heart.
This series, Taman (Garden) is my tribute to motherhood, inspired by nature’s beauty and my mother’s unwavering love. Through semi-abstract depictions of flowers, trees, and leaves, I capture fleeting moments of colour and light, much like the Impressionists. Each piece reflects cherished memories—my mother’s garden in Siglap, cherry blossoms in Nagoya, lotus flowers in Hanoi. Flowers symbolise love, sacrifice, and resilience, like my mother, who cared for our family and my late father. Now a mother myself, I understand her choices, worries and prayers. The works honour her and all mothers—their strength, devotion, and the paths they shape.”
