BLOOM 花开福贵 心想狮城

Singapore is a young nation that has progressed beyond all expectations, driven 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. ​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. ​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. ​

The Orchid Series is a launch of my 5th Edition in Sketches of Singapore Series. I am honoured and privileged to partner Chinatown Heritage Centre, Caregivers Alliance and the nursing students of Nanyang Polytechnic in this exhibition. An exhibition that is different, we used props to create a 'garden feel', we experimented with a new kind of display, an exhibition that is more than a regular art exhibition.

It is about inclusiveness, about empowering caregivers and about mental health in a setting where time stood still, an oasis in Chinatown. ​