Lai Foong Moi, a pioneering figure in the Nanyang art movement, is the focus of a retrospective exhibition that highlights her contributions as both an artist and educator. The exhibition, titled "Crossings," is the first solo show of the late artist since 1963 and runs at the National Gallery Singapore until October 3, 2027.

Born in Seremban in 1931, Lai was among the only two female instructors at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) during the 1950s, alongside Georgette Chen. Both artists were trained in Paris and influenced by post-Impressionist styles. While Chen’s legacy is widely recognized in the male-dominated canon of Nanyang art, Lai’s work has long been overlooked, despite her significant early achievements. Lai holds the distinction of being the first woman born in Malaya to hold solo exhibitions in both Malaya and Singapore, debuting in 1959. Among her notable commissions was a 1960 portrait of Sharifah Rodziah, wife of Malaysia’s first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, a piece included in this exhibition.

Curator Teo Hui Min, who discovered Lai’s work in 2018, suggests that the artist’s decline in public recognition may be linked to geopolitical and identity tensions following the formation of new national boundaries in the 1960s. Lai's Malaya birth and extensive career in Singapore placed her in a complex position as shifting national narratives emerged, complicating her place within Singapore’s art history.

Lai spent much of her career balancing her dual roles as artist and educator, teaching at NAFA from 1959 until her death in 1995. Interviews with her former students depict her as a modest and supportive teacher who fostered individual expression rather than actively shaping their artistic output. This approach contrasted with contemporaries like Cheong Soo Pieng, known for his more interventionist teaching style. According to Teo, Lai’s focus on education may have contributed to the relative scarcity of her exhibitions later in life. After 1963, she primarily participated in group shows, unlike Chen who actively pursued networking opportunities and broader exposure.

The exhibition features 25 works, including still lifes from Lai’s student years, nudes produced during her scholarship at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and portraits that capture women in a range of contemporary attire, such as kebaya and cheongsam, reflecting evolving ideas of female identity and presentation in the mid-20th century. Urban scenes and depictions of laborers, such as "Labourer (Lunch Break)" (1965)—which was shown at the 2024 Venice Biennale—offer a subdued, introspective perspective that diverges from the bustling commercial imagery commonly portrayed by her peers.

While Lai’s name has appeared in discussions and exhibitions of the Nanyang movement, "Crossings" deepens the understanding of her artistic legacy and argues for greater recognition within Singapore’s art history. Teo emphasizes the need for further research, particularly into Lai’s time in Paris and Europe and her involvement with the Ten Men Group, to build a fuller picture of her influence.

Because Lai left no written records or formal estate, much about her artistic philosophy remains unknown. Teo points to a 1968 still life in the exhibition as a kind of self-portrait, drawing on references to Chinese and Grecian ceramics, suggesting a subtle, personal imprint. Yet, she acknowledges that many aspects of Lai’s inner life may remain elusive, underscoring the challenges of reconstructing the narrative of a once-celebrated but subsequently overlooked artist.