25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Feeling stressed? Children learn to regulate their emotions through art
(From left) Young artists Chua Kah Ing, 10, Samuel Lee, 14, Kendric Chai, 8 and Chen Yening, 10, at the SELebrate! The Colours of Emotion: A Journey in Art exhibition in Bedok Library on June 20. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
SINGAPORE - Art is a source of comfort for 10-year-old Chua Kah Ing when she feels anxious.
'I felt like all my problems would go away. When I see this picture it makes me very calm,' she said of her watercolour painting of a full moon over a mountain.
The Primary 4 pupil from Opera Estate Primary School said she chose to use the colour blue in the painting as it calms her whenever she feels sad. Pink, which lines the landscape's horizon, reminds her of her happiness.
Kah Ing is among more than 120 children whose works are showcased at Bedok Library in the art exhibition , SELebrate! – The Colours Of Emotion: A Journey In Art, which opened on June 1 and runs till June 29.
Chua Kah Ing, 10, with her artwork exhibited at the SELebrate! The Colours of Emotion: A Journey in Art exhibition in Bedok Library on June 20.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
The exhibition displays works from children who attended Social Emotional Learning (SEL) art workshops, which were organised by Morning Star Community Services and designed to help children manage stress.
Morning Star believes that emotional regulation is something many children struggle with in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment like Singapore. Apart from the possibility of experiencing academic stress, children could face relational challenges such as misunderstandings with friends and communication gaps at home. These experiences, when unaddressed, can affect their mental well-being and development.
In line with the non-profit's mission to support children and families, Morning Star launched structured art workshops that use visual art to express the six core emotions and achieve social-emotional learning outcomes.
Its SEL art classes were conducted at seven primary schools and at the organisation's student care centres in Sengkang and Hougang.
The art exhibition marks the launch of Morning Star's public education initiative SELebrate!, which advocates for SEL as a means to build resilient families and emotionally healthy individuals.
'This exhibition is a window into how children see and feel the world around them. Through art, they learn to name, understand, and regulate their emotions – a key building block of mental wellness,' said Mr Freddie Low, executive director of Morning Star.
Samuel Lee, 14, said the reds, greens, and blues in his painting of a rainbow over green mountains, A Wonderful Scenery, calm him, while the yellow sun 'brightens up' his feelings.
Samuel Lee, 11, with his artwork exhibited at the SELebrate! The Colours of Emotion: A Journey in Art exhibition in Bedok Library on June 20.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
He had attended SEL art workshops as part of Morning Star's CareNights programme, which provides evening care for children aged six to 14.
For Kendric Chai, an eight-year-old pupil from Morning Star's Aspire student care programme, blue is 'as peaceful as a river'. His painting at the exhibition, A Peaceful House, depicts a house in light blue to represent peace and relaxation.
Kendric Chai, 8, with his artwork exhibited at the SELebrate! The Colours of Emotion: A Journey in Art exhibition in Bedok Library on June 20.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
SEL art workshops are immersive and sensory-based, using music to aid reflection during painting sessions. After each piece of music , facilitators prompt the children to identify the emotion expressed by the music and imagine colours or shapes that come to mind when they feel this emotion. These prompts help students visualise emotions and communicate them in their art.
Chen Ye Ning, 10, said she finds it easier to explain what she feels using colours and shapes than with words, and this helps her to better understand emotions like calmness and nervousness.
Chen Yening, 10, with her artwork exhibited at the SELebrate! The Colours of Emotion: A Journey in Art exhibition in Bedok Library on June 20.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
Her painting at the exhibition , Peace In Space, is a tranquil scene of the planet Jupiter surrounded by numerous stars dotting the emptiness of outer space.
The exhibition at Bedok Library includes a video essay featuring selected artworks and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra's performance of Holiday, the fifth movement of Day In The Lion City, an orchestral suite by Singaporean composer Kelly Tang.
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