The Art Of Charlie Chi Hock Chye Analysis

In The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, local artist Sonny Liew explores the history of Singapore through the eyes of protagonist Charlie Chan Hock Chye, a comic artist who lives from the Colonial era to post-independence Singapore. Using his under-rated artistic genius, Chan depicts Singapore’s transforming landscape through multiple comic strips that allegorize cornerstones of the Republic’s history. With Singapore’s colonial history and evolution into an independent nation-state, Singapore’s nationalism parallels Thai scholar Thongchai Winichakul’s belief that Asian nationalism evolved distinctively from European nationalism, writing in the leading article of New Terrains in Southeast Asian History that “[T]he experiences of Western Europe”
In Chan’s satirical comic panel of “Singapore Story” (annex A), Liew depicts interviewer Wang Sha Sha and curator Ye Man Fong engaged in dialogue over Singapore’s history. While Wang is skeptical of “British imperialistic colonialism(‘s)“ influence on Singapore, the pro-government Ye reassures him of the vital role which the British played in creating Singapore’s free port, enabling the inflow of immigrants from multiple backgrounds, building the foundation which ultimately led to Singapore’s unique multiculturalism. Examining “Singapore Story” through the lens of Thongchai, I find that the Republic’s former colonial masters have exemplified Thongchai’s envisioned “genealogical ancestors of nationalism” where Asian nationalism descended from, creating the essential groundwork for the post-independent Singapore government to incorporate multiculturalism into the core identity of Singapore’s nation. By weaving the evolution of colonial Singapore to independent Singapore into the comic narrative, Liew acknowledges the colonial British’s influence on the Singaporean
Satirically portraying then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew as Mr Hairily, Liew emphasizes on the crackdown of any dissent which threatens the Sinkapor Inks Story (Singapore’s mainstream narrative) portraying the role of a few good men (the government) in maximizing profitability of the Sinkapor Inks (Singapore). Consequently, potential dissenters are locked up in the janitor’s closet (parodying the controversial Internal Security Act, which justifies detention of potential threats indefinitely). Concurrently, Liew characterizes himself as explaining the intention of the comic strip to a young boy (representing typical Singaporeans) with the boy’s indifferent response: “(n)o” (Annex A). Liew’s purpose of this satirical comic strip was to highlight Singaporeans’ unquestioning, passive acceptance of the mainstream Singapore Story authored by the government. Through the exaggerative satirical depiction, Liew challenges the Singapore’s mainstream narrative by highlighting the dark, alternate undertones of Singapore’s history. As such, I feel that Liew places the onus on me to actively examine my assumptions of the Singapore’s national history, and mature as a well-informed, critical thinking Singaporean. Unlike Thongchai who implicitly suggests