One of the defining characteristics of any great city is the creative energy that buzzes just below the surface. In Singapore, it is an almost palpable force. Behind its futuristic structures and bustling thoroughfares, between its designer boutiques and celebrity restaurants, inside its pulsing nightclubs and peaceful cafés are throngs of artists, designers and dreamers – all of them busy reshaping the soul of Singapore.
Architecture and Interior Design
Changing things from the inside out are enterprises like Farm, an award-winning “cross-disciplinary design practice” that embraces architecture, interior design, graphic design, fine arts and merchandising. A stay at Lloyd’s Inn will immerse you in Farm’s unique approach to spatial aesthetics. Just a short walk from Orchard Road, this 34-room boutique hotel was wholly reimagined by Farm — from the rooms to the website. Alternatively, drop by the Jewel Café and Bar on Rangoon Road or Wheeler’s Yard, a bicycle workshop and café housed in a factory off Balestier Road, to experience other innovative spaces cultivated and curated by Farm.
Fashion Design
Priscilla Shunmugam’s four-year-old fashion label Ong Shunmugam incorporates traditional Asian textiles, patterns, colours and lines and then “deliberately disregards stereotypes and caricatures”. The result is a contemporary womenswear brand celebrated for its impeccably tailored, beautifully imagined designs. “Ong Shunmugam is about bringing heritage from the past into the future,” the internationally acclaimed designer explains, “so it is beyond time and beyond place.” Other Singaporean labels making an international impact are Stolen by Elyn Wong; Danielle Woo’s Aijek, Al & Alicia from Alicia Ong, and Jo Soh’s playfully wearable Hansel.
Jewellery Design
To accessorise in Singapore, look to WoonHung, whose exquisite, handmade jewellery is an ode to simplicity. Her creations incorporate renewable materials and support local cottage industries in places such as the Philippines; facts that imbue every piece with a unique character. Carolyn Kan offers a different take on accessorising through her eclectic brand Carrie K. “I’ve always been fascinated by the beauty of imperfection,” she says of her new collection A Beautiful Mess, a paean to abstract expressionism. “The idea of wearing a mess instead of cleaning it up made me smile.”
Fine Art
The fine art of Singapore is in good hands, driven by innovative artists including Ren Zi, whose “psychic landscapes” expose the futility of preserving human experience through memory. The photography of Jeannie Ho, another up-and-coming Singaporean artist, deftly employs the visual language of non-figurative painting, notably in her stunning series Wall Abstracts. Established artists such as Justin Lee, credited with bringing Pop Art to Singapore, continue to make an impact both locally and internationally. His work, which unites eastern imagery and western icons, has been exhibited widely and represented Singapore at the Venice Biennale. The venerable Ong Kim Seng’s evocative paintings and “watercolour poems” are acclaimed throughout the world. Among his collectors are Queen Elizabeth II and Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations.
For every Singaporean artist and designer mentioned here, there are scores of others — talented individuals driven to create and share their passion with others. “Art is not a thing; it is a way,” declared writer and philosopher Elbert Hubbard. For many in Singapore, it is not merely a way, but a way of life.
