HOME WITH THE Chowdhurys

2019-10-01 - BY KEL FLANDERS PHOTOGRAPHY MICHAEL BERNABE

When you’re passionate about art, your collection can stretch from street art to famous pieces, and even artworks done by your own family members. We take a look at the Chowdhurys’ impressive home gallery.

A Family Home

“Suburban living in urban Singapore” – that’s how Americans Asif and Sharmeen Chowdhury describe their home in Kranji. The large threestorey house is at the end of a quiet familyfocused cul-de-sac, complete with children playing soccer and dogs being walked. There’s a minimalist exterior to the home, but thanks to the preview photos I’ve seen, I expect it to reveal itself like a geode, with a spectacular and colourful collection of art and artefacts inside. I’m not disappointed.

The couple open the door and warmly welcome me into a mesmerising space. There are paintings, drawings and beautiful lamps everywhere. My gaze eventually falls, and remains, on a huge black-and-white drawing of two elephants, hung next to the staircase.

We sit down and I ask how their impressive collection started. “We’ve always been interested in supporting local artists,” Asif starts to explain. “We used to do it in the US. After coming to Singapore, we started collecting pieces from artists in the region as we travelled around.”

The family moved from Boston five years ago, but they’ve also lived in Tokyo for four years, and Seoul for three. This is where their love for oriental art and furniture began, starting with an antique step chest (which is in their home in Boston).

Artists-in-residence

Asif is passionate about art. “We really believe in supporting artists directly rather than the galleries they display their work in. So, we try to visit them and get to know them. And now, our home shows their art.”

The Chowdhury family boasts its own “inhouse” artists, too, in Sharmeen and Farhana. Sharmeen shows me a few of the incredible pieces she has created – and I’m assured there are dozens more in storage! She only started painting her Oriental-style art when the family moved to Singapore. “I enjoyed painting, and tried to help my daughter with her own art studies, but I wasn’t perfect enough for her!” Farhana, the couple’s 21-year-old daughter, is now in her final year of a mechanical engineering degree at Purdue University in Indiana, and visits twice a year.

Sharmeen continues: “I was then helping out at my son’s class at school and was asked if I could help paint and decorate the room. One of the mothers suggested I take up Chinese painting, so I said ‘OK’. After I started doing it, I realised how much I loved this style of painting. Now, Asif tells me what he would like and I just paint it!”

Lamp Lovers

Asif enthusiastically tells me about his collection of lamps, which are spread throughout the house. “I found a store at Holland Village that will take any vase and turn it into a lamp. I love them.” Sharmeen then adds with a laugh, “And, as you can see, he has them everywhere!”

I love the Chowdhurys’ passion for art and for the artist that created each piece. To them, every picture is a memory postcard from a time and a trip that means so much. The paintings bring them unmeasurable joy, and this is happily shared with anyone who visits their love-filled home.

Recommendations:

HOME

Vista & Co. (“The father is the one who converts vases into lamps, but he’s getting older and will only agree to do one if the vase isn’t too big!”)

#02-30, Holland Village Shopping Centre 211 Holland Avenue | 6466 6276

Wing Ngai

#03-16, Tanglin Mall 163 Tanglin Road 6235 9896

WINE & DINE

CÉ LA VI (“our favourite bar and restaurant – we like to take first-time visitors here”)

Marina Bay Sands, Tower 3 1 Bayfront Avenue

6508 2188 | celavi.com

Samy’s Curry Restaurant (“great for local food”) 25 Dempsey Road

6472 2080 | samyscurry.com