For 43 years, Chong Kwee Cheen rose daily in the wee hours of the morning, long before the Sun had even cracked the horizon.
She would travel from her home to the nearby Pek Kio Market, where she’d receive vegetables from her suppliers before opening her stall for the day. She and her husband manned the cheekily named House of Bean, selling spice mixes, noodles and especially bean sprouts.
The bean sprout seller eventually retired in 2013, after a nasty fall led to a back injury that required surgery. That was when she took up a new hobby – painting-by-numbers.
Her newfound hobby was straightforward enough that she wouldn’t need any specific classes to get going, but difficult enough that she could still find it challenging and enjoyable.
"It sounds easy, but it’s not!"
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Indeed, Kwee Cheen tells SilverStreak that she gets through a roughly A3-sized painting in a matter of days (while splitting her time with other hobbies like knitting).
Though she’s “open to painting anything”, the templates her daughters usually buy for her are that of flowers, rabbits, or sometimes, fish.
That was part of the reason why she decided to donate her paintings to the Sustainable Christmas Market initiative, a charity bazaar organised by non-profit Peace of Art seeking to raise funds for the Singapore Red Cross’ Young Hearts Programme, which benefits underprivileged children living in public rental housing.
The Sustainable Christmas Market team has been collecting donated luxury goods, clothing, toys, books and more since 15 September, with the ultimate goal of selling these preloved goods to raise over $200,000 for the Young Hearts Programme.
According to the team, every cent earned from this bazaar – which will be held in the South Beach commercial complex from 11 to 12 November 2023, 10am – 8pm – goes directly towards providing these children with essential items like schoolbooks and nutritious food.
It also serves a dual purpose of clearing out clutter from people’s homes, reducing waste and giving these pre-loved items a second lease of life.
There are more than 80 participating brands at the Sustainable Christmas Market, who will each be championing their own brand of sustainable giving in the lead-up to the festive season. Performances, workshops and fitness sessions will also be held at the space.
This silver artist’s contribution, however, is slightly different, as her 20 paintings will be sold apart from the general bazaar at South Beach Tower with other Peace of Art contributors.
Sustainable Christmas Market
When: 11 to 12 November 2023, 10am to 8pm
Where: South Beach Avenue, 26 Beach Road, Singapore 189768 (Kwee Chen’s paintings will be at South Beach Tower at 38 Beach Road within the vicinity of the fair)
Website: https://sustainablechristmas.sg/
