花开福贵 心想狮城

 January to February 2019 

 Chinatown Heritage Centre

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Singapore is a young nation that has progressed beyond all expectations, driven primarily by the passion and diligence of her people. I was inspired by the resilience of the orchids and the diversity of the hybrids which captures so much of the essence of Singapore. 

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The 6 hybrids were chosen with the commemoration of the Bicentennial  in mind. I painted  Vanda Ms Joaquim which is our National Flower, the Aranda Lee Kuan Yew which is a hydrid named after our founding father. Behind the great man of Lee Kuan Yew is a solidly powerful woman who stood by her man,  I painted Vanda Kwa Geok Choo. To represent independence and freedom, Paravanda Nelson Mandela was added into the series. 

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We started counting the Bicentennial from 1819 where Singapore was a British Colony, I painted my favourite Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Vanda William Catherine and still on the theme of British rule, I painted Dendrobium Margaret Thatcher, the Iron Lady , one that I admire, the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 

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The Orchid Series is my 5th Edition in Sketches of Singapore Series. This launch started different right from the beginning. For one, I didI am honoured and privileged to partner Chinatown Heritage Centre, Caregivers Alliance and the nursing students of  Nanyang Polytechnic in this exhibition.  We experimented with a new kind of display, we added props to create an oasis feel to the whole gallery area. This exhibition  is more than a regular art exhibition, it is about inclusiveness, it is about empowering caregivers and about mental health in a setting where time stood still, an oasis in Chinatown. 

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