Over the past decade, Singapore’s private collectors have emerged as powerful cultural catalysts, helping to shape not only the market for Singaporean art but also the narratives that define the nation’s artistic identity. Among them is Singaporean collector Linda Neo, whose journey from acquiring Western art to championing local artists reflects a broader shift within the country’s collecting landscape. Together with her husband Albert Lim, she has built a collection that spans generations—from pioneers such as Lim Tze Peng, Tang Da Wu and Han Sai Por to contemporary voices including Genevieve Chua, Fyerool Darma and Brandon Tay—while also embracing works by artists such as Zai Kuning, Jimmy Ong, Donna Ong, Ian Tee and Heman Chong.
Yet Neo and Lim’s engagement with art extends far beyond collecting. Through initiatives such as Primz Gallery, founded in 2014, they have created a platform for exhibitions, talks, publications and public engagement that encourages deeper dialog around Singaporean art and its evolving context. Their current exhibition “Ink and Paper: 10 Years On” harks back to their previous exhibition from a decade ago and features ink works from their collection by 14 Singaporean artists, such as Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng, Chua Ek Kay, Goh Beng Kwan, Lim Cheng Hoe, Ong Kim Seng, Lim Choon Jin, Wong Keen and Tong Chin Sye.
Neo’s leadership roles in initiatives like OH! Open House and the grassroots collective Art Addicts Anonymous further highlight the growing influence of collector-led programs in Singapore’s cultural ecosystem, from artist residencies and community-based projects to art education activities for adults and children alike. As private collectors increasingly donate works to institutions, commission new pieces, fund emerging artists and open their collections to the public, their role is becoming indispensable in preserving the legacy of Singapore’s modern masters while nurturing the next generation of artistic voices.
Singaporean collectors Albert Lim & Linda Neo at their exhibition “Ink and Paper: 10 Years On”
Photo courtesy of Linda Neo & Albert Lim
Why did you shift your focus from collecting Western art to collecting artworks by Singaporean artists in 2010?
Supporting local arts and artists is a natural progression if we consider ourselves Singaporean art collectors. The local art scene can only be as vibrant with the support of homegrown collectors like ourselves. We identify young and mid-career artists and follow their creative path. We lend our support through acquiring some of their early works to encourage them to push on. We felt that the Singapore art scene was somewhat languishing for lack of international visual and local support. Savvy buyers tend to go for more established artists around the region. With the support of the National Gallery of Singapore and the National Art Council, together with a breed of fresh buyers, Singapore’s artists have been gaining traction in terms of sales and exhibitions.
In what ways do you think private collections like yours contribute to the maturing of Singapore’s art market and help shape art historical narratives, preserving the legacy and future of Singaporean art, which institutions alone cannot?
When my husband, Albert completed his master’s degree in Asian art history at Lasalle College of the Arts in 2018, his primary objective after graduation was to use our art collection as a platform for art education and art appreciation. He always felt that there was a gap in the art ecosystem. The one place that visitors do not have the opportunity to view art is in the home of private collectors. Unlike museum collections, private collectors have their own personal journey and story to tell. For example, Lim Tze Peng’s capture of Singapore’s past such as kampong life, Chinatown activities and lives along the Singapore River before rapid urbanization transformed the city-state make great narratives about Singapore’s history.
How did your work as chairperson of OH! Open House actively nurture Singapore’s artistic landscape?
Since its inception, I have always enjoyed the programs by OH! Open House. The concept of telling alternative stories through art outside white walls is fascinating to me. Singapore is such a hot country and the challenge of getting people to attend art walks is no small feat. OH! Open House has a group of passionate and committed volunteers to support the initiative as it’s a non-profit organization. As chairperson, my objective was to raise awareness of sustainability through patronage and fundraising. Singapore is in a unique position as we get good financial grants from the government, but this is not sustainable in the long run. OH! Open House with its innovative programs and volunteers already have the infrastructure that we can build upon. Working with the community was also another key area. We started a residency program with artists from Southeast Asia and immersed them in Kampong Glam. Kampong Glam today houses trendy restaurants, shops and hotels, but was once home to entire communities for centuries, a land of a former thriving Malay port town and the waters of early riverine settlements. This led to the art walk at Kampong Glam where artists are invited to set up their installations in the shophouses and tell stories of personal histories that remained and what community memories defy erasure. It was so well received by the Kampong Glam community that in 2026, OH! Open House is collaborating with the National Heritage Board to launch a Heritage Activation Node (HAN) at Punggol to tell alternative stories of Singapore through art.
Jimmy Ong, Open Love Letters. 2018, iron kueh kapit utensils, clogs made of wood and steel and performance relics, variable dimensions
Photo courtesy of Linda Neo & Albert Lim
What was the purpose of your personal initiative Art Addicts Anonymous?
Art Addicts Anonymous was a loose WhatsApp initiative started in 2014 by a few of us, Art Addicts. Using this feature, we engaged new members who were interested in knowing more about art, but were either too busy or bashful to visit galleries or museums! Primz Gallery was also started in 2014 and our two elder children had just left for the US for further education. So we had the facility and bandwidth to meet with different people to share our collection and promote art. Interestingly, after 10 years, many of the Art Addicts Anonymous members are collectors in their own right, and in 2024, 15 of the members hosted a show titled “Chronic Compulsions: Selected Works from Art Addicts Anonymous”.
We’re seeing increasing international attention on Singaporean modernists like Cheong Soo Pieng, Liu Kang and Georgette Chen, as well as contemporary names such as Ho Tzu Nyen, Heman Chong, Jane Lee and Melissa Tan. What role are Singaporean and Singapore-based collectors playing in this rising visibility and valuation of local artists, both domestically and abroad?
We have exhibited two solo shows for Jane Lee at Primz Gallery, “Rise & Fall, Ebb & Flow” in 2017 and “To Begin Again” in 2023. These have inspired new collectors, and we have had the privilege of visiting some of our art friends who have started their own Jane Lee collection. Many are attending biennales, art fairs and openings locally and abroad to support local artists. We are hoping with the Tanoto Foundation which was launched last year, it will add to the vibrancy and support of artists.
