Bayfront MRT’s ship mural is When the Ship Comes in, an Art in Transit work by Lee Wen. Look for the ship drawings as you move through the station’s pedestrian passage. The Land Transport Authority identifies it with Bayfront station on the Downtown Line.
The work brings together ship drawings by children aged seven to twelve. Use a short pause at the mural to look for how different children imagined the shapes and details of ships. Keep the passage clear if you stop to look or take a photo.
- Station: Bayfront CE1/DT16.
- Artwork: When the Ship Comes in by Lee Wen.
- Look for a collage of ship drawings in the pedestrian passage.
- Continue to Marina Bay Sands or the waterfront using station signs.
Plan your visit
Guide contents
Look for the ship drawings at Bayfront
Give yourself a few minutes at the station before continuing to the waterfront. If your group is coming from different platforms, agree to meet at a signed point first, then look for the artwork together.
Take in the work from a place that leaves room for other passengers. On a busy day, keep moving and return during a quieter part of your visit if you want more time.
What the pictures have to do with Singapore
LTA explains that the artwork draws on Singapore’s history as a port. Children used historical images as a starting point and added their own ideas. That is why a single work brings together ships with different forms and styles.
Ask a child to find two drawings that suggest different kinds of journeys. What details make a boat look like it carries passengers, works at sea or belongs in an imagined world? Then look for another drawing that changes their answer.
Add a waterfront stop
If you are also visiting Marina Bay Sands, follow the station directions to The Shoppes or the promenade. The waterfront gives children a chance to compare the boats they see today with the ships in the mural.
If you only want to see the artwork, keep your visit simple. Note your exit before you start looking at the mural so you can continue easily afterwards.
Common questions
Who made the mural?
LTA credits the work to Lee Wen and describes the children’s drawings that form the collage.
Which MRT station is it at?
Bayfront, served by the Downtown and Circle lines.
What is the mural called?
When the Ship Comes in.