The Art of Advent: Day Sixteen
By Brynn Gordon
On the 16th day of Advent, Richard Walker’s Epiphany (1942) is a unique interpretation of the nativity, which emerged from the darkness of the Changi prisoner of war camp during the Second World War.
Richard Walker, Epiphany, 1942. Oil on Wood Panel, 71 x 98.6 cm, National Gallery Singapore.
Art teacher Richard Walker became a prisoner of war as the city fell in late 1941. From inside Changi POW camp, he continued to paint, teach, and he lettered the grave markers of his fellow prisoners. He produced Epiphany to complete a makeshift altar in the camp chapel.
Walker primarily used jewel tones to create a rich, deep atmosphere, recalling the colourful pre-war streets of Singapore and the hues of traditional Christian icon painting. The dark tone contrasts with the central figures’ halos and the angel’s hair, making them otherworldly and divine. Walker’s Mary, Joseph, and wise men are also depicted with Asian features and some with traditional clothing, following the tradition in Japan, Korea, and China of adapting Christian imagery to local cultures. Walker balances the modernity seen in Mary’s bobbed hair and the streamlined, geometric composition with the gravity and formality of a nativity scene, while also reflecting Singapore’s multicultural population. The focal point of the painting is Walker’s Mary, who is depicted as a modern Asian woman. This grounds a venerated image in the time and place of its production. After Singapore’s liberation, Walker gifted Epiphany to the Anglican Diocese of Singapore before it came to the collection of the Singapore National Gallery.
Little is known of Walker’s career beyond this painting. The artwork’s importance is derived from it being a singularly beautiful expression of Singaporean culture at that dark time. More touchingly, it would have offered comfort to Changi prisoners at Christmas, far from home and in jeopardy.
Bibliography
Tan, Samuel. “Rare WWII oil painting reveals God’s heart for His people”, Salt and Light, Dec 9th 2020. Accessed Dec 15th 2023.https://saltandlight.sg/faith/rare-wwii-oil-painting-reveals-gods-heart-for-his-people/
Changi Chapel and Museum, “Resilience in Adversity”, Exhibitions. Accessed Dec 15th 2023.
https://www.nhb.gov.sg/changichapelmuseum/whats-on/exhibitions/resilience-in-adversity