She did so, said Chiang, out of concern that the painting might cause political tension between countries. The Indonesian diplomat at first may have regarded the compromise as a victory on his part, but if so it was a short-lived one. In the information age, such tasteless diplomacy is counter-productive. It is one thing for political leaders to criticize each other over human rights, completely another for diplomats to try to censor works of art. Artists should be free to pick any theme or subject they feel compelled to depict in their work, whether it is abstract visual aesthetics, landscape, genre, or even politics.
Freedom of expression is part of basic human rights and extends beyond political boundaries.
In other words, Singapore artists should be free to express their concerns and sympathies for the victims of the May atrocities in Indonesia. The work features a female nude torso on the left, her head obscured in darkness. Many viewers see this as a decapitated figure, especially as red paint drips down the fair torso. The canvas's lower right is dominated by a strong red coloration, suggesting fire. From this spew sparks and ash.