Even if you haven’t heard of Singaporean artist Yip Yew Chong, you’ve probably seen his murals plastered on the walls of prominent areas in Kampong Gelam, Chinatown, Tiong Bahru and Little India.
They’d most likely have left quite the impression too, given the loving detail Yip pours into his nostalgic recreations of life as it was.
Expect all of that raw authenticity and more with the 54-year-old’s latest and most ambitious project yet, a 60m-long acrylic painting that took more than 18 months to complete.
Aptly titled “I Paint My Singapore”, the mega-painting comprises 27 scenes of Singapore circa the ’70s and ’80s, with a special focus on the historic Civic District.
Moving along the Singapore River, Yip’s painting will showcase Singapore’s rapid post-independence development through detailed tableaus of Raffles Place, Collyer Quay and the Padang.
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“I Paint My Singapore”, created in collaboration with Fairmont Singapore, a fellow longstanding resident of the Civic District, will be exhibited in its entirety at Level 4 of the Raffles City Convention Centre. Admission is free.
The artist will be conducting private tours for Accor Live Limitless members from Thursdays to Sundays at 5pm (advanced bookings required).
He will also conduct live painting sessions on 12, 13, 19, 20 and 26 December (catch it on Fairmont Singapore’s Facebook page).
The paintings will also be made available in a book (available both on-site and online). Read on to find out about the journey behind Yip Yew Chong‘s ambitious project, as well as his feelings on creating some of Singapore’s most recognisable murals.
How did you go about completing such a monumental project?
I started painting the first panel in August 2021, and painted the last panel in January 2023.
But, of course, I did lots of other things during the period. Each panel takes on average one to two weeks to complete, depending on complexity.
I thoroughly enjoyed the process — from getting inspiration, research, painting, marketing (social media exposure), receiving public responses along the way, to then tweaking and refining the concept as things progress.
Along the way, I extended it from the planned 50m to 60m. I painted all the panels in solitude in my studio except the last panel, which was painted in public view at Tiong Bahru Community Centre.
Many people came to view the live painting. It was like running a marathon. It’s nice to have people cheer you on at the finishing line.
How did you decide what to incorporate in this project?
I jotted down a broad list of places in Singapore that I wished to depict.
I included places that I have a personal connection with (for example, where I grew up, studied or had fond memories), as well as significant places that are representative of Singapore’s natural, cultural and developmental diversity.
Along the way, the public also contributed new ideas.
Which of the 27 scenes in “I Paint My Singapore” is your favourite, and why?
My favourite scene is the first panel I painted in Aug 2021.
It depicts a night scene of Chinatown. It shows a street night market with a section that peeps into the interior of the shophouses.
My whole family could be seen on the second storey of that shophouse. It’s my favourite because the familiar scene of my family and the whole ambience are my true childhood experience.
Tell us more about your journey from accountant to full-time artist.
I liked to draw since young, and have been creating art continuously while in schools, national service days, university days, and even when I was working as an accountant.
The turning point was when I painted a street mural in mid-2015 while taking a break from my finance job. It was a voluntary mural. The mural was warmly received and I received many commissioned requests.
In 2016, I had to return to my finance work. But I didn’t want to give up painting street murals, so I continued to paint on weekends while working as a full-time accountant on weekdays.
In mid-2018, I quit my job to become a full-time artist. I was motivated by the increased and sustained recognition of my artworks. My wife was key in nudging me to strike the iron while it is hot.
How do you feel about representing Singapore and its culture to the thousands of tourists and Singaporeans visiting these sites daily?
I was actually just creating art that reflects my personal life experiences. I didn’t intentionally create them for tourists or any specific communities.
It just so happened the art manifests by-products that serve other purposes such as education, well-being, promotion of culture and identity.
Thus, I feel super happy that what I simply do because I am happy doing it, also creates positive impacts on society.
Now that you’ve completed such a huge project, what’s next?
I am continuously multitasking and reinventing. I don’t do one thing at a time nor plan my work in detail. I have a broad aspiration and ideas and then let things flow, learning, evolving and adapting along the way.
For example, I actually started with canvas, not murals. But when my murals were recognised, I started developing that more.
When the pandemic hit, I switched to developing more of my canvas paintings, digital art and installations.
When the pandemic tailed off, I switched back to murals, especially overseas and larger-scale murals. But my long-term aspiration is to be a film maker! That will be my third act.
What will you be painting at your live paintings during the exhibition?
I’m still thinking! The present-day Raffles City towers and the way of life around and within them will definitely be featured.
I Paint My Singapore
When: Daily, 10am to 8pm, now until 1 January 2024
Where: Raffles City Convention Centre, 80 Bras Basah Road, Level 4, Singapore 189560
Website: https://www.fairmont-singapore.com/offer/yip-yew-chong-i-paint-my-singapore/
