Plaque put up at Chinatown samsui woman mural stating smoking 'extremely harmful' to health

A new gold plaque has been installed at the smoking samsui woman mural in Chinatown.

Besides a description of the mural, the plaque also includes an anti-smoking message.

New plaque

The gold plaque was installed at the left corner of the mural, above the signature of Singapore-based American artist Sean Dunston, who painted the artwork.

The plaque said “the overall intention was to create an iconic, vivid composite of a samsui woman in her prime and in a moment of peace”.

The anti-smoking message is written at the bottom of the plaque, and reads: “The artist stresses that the cigarette depiction is not intended to glamorise or promote tobacco use. Smoking has been shown to be extremely harmful to one’s health.”

URA and MOH joint statement

According to The Straits Times, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a joint statement on Jul. 11 that apart from the addition of the plaque, the mural was “retained” and no modifications have been done to it.

They further added that they “worked with the building owner on the proposed message to ensure that the cultural and artistic context for the mural and anti-smoking stance are conveyed appropriately”.

In an interview with CNA, Dunston confirmed that the text on the plaque was written by him and the building’s landlord.

They had edited the text based on input from URA.

Dunston also said he had proposed the addition of the anti-smoking message to ensure that the mural would not be viewed as a piece of artwork that glamourises smoking.

He further added that he had suggested the location of the plaque on the mural and handled the layout and background design of it.

The landlord's representative also told CNA that it was satisfied with the plaque:

“For us, the plaque is a happy resolution that helps passers-by better appreciate the mural, while also addressing any concerns that some may have.”

Controversy over the mural

The mural, painted by Dunston, was the centrepiece of a debate regarding its appropriateness.

In 2024, Dunston revealed in an Instagram post that he had been told by URA to "get rid of the cigarette" by Jul. 3 2024.

URA had told Dunston that they had received feedback on the mural, which stated that the mural was "offensive and disrespectful to [the] samsui women" and that the woman depicted looked "more like a prostitute".

However, it was eventually decided that the mural would be kept unmodified.

In July 2024, MOH and URA stated that “in view of the fact that the mural is not an advertisement for tobacco, which is against the law, and is largely perceived as an art piece”, the mural would be retained and no changes would be made to it.

Top photo courtesy of Mothership reader