Singapore’s Kampong Glam district is known for heritage-rich streets and cultural landmarks. But tucked away in the back alleys of Muscat Street lies an unexpected visual treat—Gelam Gallery, the country’s first outdoor art gallery. This creative intervention transforms the utilitarian back lanes into an immersive art corridor open 24/7. It’s free, it’s raw, and it’s alive.
A Gallery Without Walls
Gelam Gallery flips the script on traditional galleries. Instead of sterile rooms, the walls of shophouses form the gallery’s perimeter. Murals, framed pieces, and graffiti now line these surfaces, breathing color into what was once bin storage and blank concrete. The experience is immediate. No ticket lines. No security guards. Just art—and a lot of it.
Why it works:
- Accessibility: No operating hours, no entry fee.
- Context: The art lives where the people are—on the street.
- Authenticity: The rough textures of back-alley walls give each piece character.
More Than Murals
Gelam Gallery isn’t just a stretch of painted walls. It’s an organized exhibit, curated with purpose. Over 30 artworks occupy this space, ranging from bold graffiti and abstract designs to detailed portraiture and experimental mixed-media. The gallery functions like an open-air museum. Visitors can walk through at any hour, guided by labels describing the pieces and their creators.
What You’ll See
- Murals with regional and cultural themes
- Framed contemporary works
- Graffiti-based designs and stencil art
- Mixed-media installations using unexpected surfaces
Each piece comes with a backstory—artist bios, their country of origin, and their intent—printed clearly near the work. The format mirrors a standard indoor gallery but keeps it all on the streets.
The Artists Behind the Paint
This is not a tourist-centric project showcasing just local flavor. Gelam Gallery is international in scope. Over 30 artists contribute, spanning countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, China, the UK, and France.
Featured contributors include:
- PrettyFreakyFantasy – Known for vibrant characters like “Beautiful Ulla and Beautiful Dan.”
- Liyana Farzana – A graphic designer whose terrestrial artwork draws on bold geometry and earth tones.
- Helene Le Chatelier – French mixed-media artist behind “Geology of Memory.”
- Sei Nishiyama – Adds a Japanese aesthetic with “1 of 3 Phoenix Series.”
- Cynthia Wang – Blends street art and fine art with oil-on-canvas portraits and graffiti peacocks.
- Dyn – A fine arts major with a swirling ode to Turkish Sufi dancers titled “The Dancer.”
The gallery also features student works from LASALLE College of the Arts and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), giving space to fresh, formative voices.
From Bin Alley to Public Canvas
What makes this gallery more than a quirky project is the scale of its transformation. Spearheaded by Color Inc Pte Ltd, with support from the Singapore Tourism Board and One Kampong Gelam, the initiative took a back lane previously used for storage and turned it into an art destination.
What changed:
- Old bin storage cleared and reorganized
- New, art-integrated dustbins added
- Drain covers painted and refreshed
- Shophouse walls prepped and painted
- Informational placards and wayfinding installed
The result is not only photogenic—it’s also functional and cleaner than before.
Events That Activated the Space
Gelam Gallery isn’t static. It launched with more than just painted walls. In 2019, Monster Day Tours offered free guided heritage and art walks in the area. These tours combined historical insights about Kampong Glam with commentary on the artworks.
Shortly after, “Gelam Gallery Alive” brought in workshops, performances, and pop-up craft markets. This extended the gallery’s footprint from static visuals to live interaction. Residents and tourists could engage with artists, try hands-on activities, and shop from local artisans.
Highlights from past events:
- Arts and crafts pop-up stalls
- Street performances
- Live painting sessions
- Guided tours with local historians and artists
These initiatives turned the gallery from an art corridor into a cultural meeting point.
How to Get There
Location: Muscat Street, between North Bridge Road and Baghdad Street.
Nearest MRT Station: Bugis—just a short walk away.
Open Hours: 24/7
Entry Fee: Free
The gallery is easily accessed on foot, and it’s positioned within a walkable heritage area that includes the Sultan Mosque, Arab Street, and other iconic attractions.
Not Just a Gallery, but a Statement
By placing street art in a curated format, Gelam Gallery shifts perceptions. It invites reconsideration of public space, challenges elitism in art access, and builds bridges between generations and cultures. Students, emerging talents, and veterans display side by side. Tourists snap photos while locals revisit the alley in different light. Artists get a platform, and the community gets a canvas.
Nearby: Graffiti Hall of Fame
Just blocks away, at Bali Lane and Ophir Road, Kampong Glam hosts Southeast Asia’s first Graffiti Hall of Fame. Featuring works by 17 Singapore-based street artists, the Hall of Fame cements the precinct’s growing identity as a street art destination. It complements Gelam Gallery by celebrating graffiti in its rawest form.
Final Thoughts
Gelam Gallery proves that meaningful art doesn’t need marble floors or velvet ropes. It thrives in the open, woven into the paths of everyday life. Through its murals and installations, Muscat Street becomes a living exhibit—one that shifts with the sun, the rain, and the footsteps of those who pass through.
