I Paint My Singapore: Scenes of a Familiar Island

Description About the Artist “A common trait of all my art works is that they are intricately detailed and tell stories, especially of my childhood memories, a bygone era or lost place; and at times, mixed with present day real scenes in a whimsical manner. I hope the artworks will evoke in the audience a sense of warmth in their hearts and fond personal nostalgia; and they in turn, will be inspired to tell their own stories. By the way, that’s me on the book cover – chillaxing on a rooftop, enjoying a panoramic view of our Singapore.” This book contains Yip Yew Chong’s tribute to Singapore, the epic 60m-long, 27-canvas painting of our island home in its bygone days. Many of these scenes of the 1970s and 1980s are no more, but come alive once again in these pages, each spread depicting an area with their iconic buildings and way of life. Look carefully and see soldiers carrying concertina wire, Ah Mei and Ah Shui from The Awakening, the Jurong Bird Park waterfall, a kacang putih man, snake charmers, mahjong players, the National Theatre, break dancers and many, many more nostalgic details. And, yes, there is a Sikh gentleman riding his bicycle through many of the scenes. Yip Yew Chong was an accountant till he became a full-time artist in 2018. His practice includes different visual mediums: murals, canvas, sketches, installations, videography and photography. His public murals may be seen in the streets of Singapore and other regional cities, including Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Phnom Phen while his canvases have been shown in art galleries.