Cloud Nine: Raining - Interview with artist, Tan Wee Lit

2022.11.01

 “Cloud Nine: Raining” is a contemporary artwork that appears to be floating above the water – defying gravity just as Singapore overcame its challenges. The title reads like an oxymoron referencing both the sense of jubilation of being on Cloud Nine, and an ominous forecast of rain. At the same time, the rainfall here symbolises Singapore's drive toward self-sustenance in water resources and constant self-renewal. Just as the nearby Victorian cast iron Tan Kim Seng Fountain celebrates the development of piped water to the town area, this ‘raining’ cloud sculpture is a visual celebration of Singapore’s progress towards a more secure future through water self-sufficiency.

This artwork was commissioned by the National Art Council’s Public Art Trust (PAT), and represents a lasting legacy of Singapore’s Golden Jubilee.

Proudly sponsored by Marina Bay Sands Singapore.

About the Artist
Tan Wee Lit graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with an MFA in Sculpture and has exhibited extensively locally and internationally as a practicing artist. He is a recipient of numerous study awards and scholarships, and was conferred the prestigious Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council in 2012. Tan has also worked on multiple commissions for private and public collections, amongst them a stainless steel sculpture for Raffles Place and a feature wall for Haw Par Villa MRT station inspired by Chinese paper-cut. He currently heads the Faculty of Visual Arts at the School of the Arts Singapore (SOTA).