Trimester: A Yellow Diary
Trimester: A Yellow Diary
1996, Kandang Kerbau Hospital (KKH) Building , Singapore
Trimester: “A Yellow Diary” (1996) is an intimate and deeply personal installation by Kumari Nahappan, created for XX Personae II at the historic Kandang Kerbau Hospital (KKH) before its relocation. The work consists of nine scroll-like components hung along a dark hospital passageway, evoking the nine months of pregnancy. Made of raw cotton dyed in turmeric—a material associated with healing and care—the soft, crumpled forms suggest vitality, transformation, and the maternal body.
Each scroll is suspended between bamboo poles, with sections of cotton forming raised, organic shapes, swags, and suspended “umbilical” cords. Individually, they appear as tender, living forms; collectively, they create a rhythmic passage that flanks the viewer, inviting both visual contemplation and touch. By encouraging tactile interaction, Kumari subverts traditional art-viewing, turning the experience into a sensorial, almost nurturing exchange.
The installation reflects on healing, birth, and memory, deeply tied to Kumari’s personal journey of loss and renewal after the death of her fifth child. The warm, yellow forms, reminiscent of the sun’s life-giving cycle, symbolically chart the phases of gestation and the emotional labor of recovery. Trimester: “A Yellow Diary” transforms a transitional hospital corridor into a space of reflection, tenderness, and quiet resilience, where art, life, and healing converge.