Technically, we’re not really in a full lockdown at the moment… But we’re strongly encouraged to stay home, with gatherings of no more than two people outside a day.. Kids were home doing their HBL and usually rushed to complete their assignments by mid-morning so they had a whole day to themselves… So we kept quite a few art and craft supplies at hand… These count-by-numbers kits struck me as really intimidating and tedious at first… The numbers are absolutely tiny…! Probabl

What it Means to Be Friends I chose our iconic Dragon playground cos it is easily recognised by Singaporeans. The typical playground below our HDB flats is a common space where children grow up, mingle with their neighbours, play, fight and forge a lifetime of friendships. Ouch! What a Thoughtless Question I tried to create a scorching and uncomfortable situation here where prickly questions abound. Though once again carrying a pointed message, it was still a fun illustration

Love in Any Language This was one of the lighthearted, happier pieces with no sad undertones. I enjoyed putting together people of all different races and cultures, including our iconic Singapore Girl from SIA and the Raffles Hotel doorman. It was an eye opener for me that within different languages themselves, depending on how the words are written, ‘Love’ has different connotations. For instance, the Tamil word ‘Love’, depending on how it is written, can mean ‘romantic love

Why is My Accent Funny to You? At first glance, things look really fun and exciting… And it is… Lots of sparks, movement and color… Except for the little guy in the corner. He gets only a token part to say in the performance because he has an accent that others don’t really welcome. That’s the story behind the picture, based on a true life account of casual racism in the article. But They’re Cool with It! Sometimes we hear racial jokes made at the expense of others. They seem

The illustrations were a break from my usual watercolor. I went digital this round largely due to the time-constraint and also the fact that digital is easier for editing purposes. Click on the illustration to link to the article it is based on. Was This a Compliment or Insult? This was based on the idea that compliments can sometimes unintentionally (or even intentionally) be insulting to the recipient. So I included some creepy elements like flowers that bite or floating ey

This is one of the most meaningful (if not most meaningful) projects I have ever done (to date) as an illustrator. It’s a collaborative effort by the What’s Up (Singapore’s Newspaper for Students) team and sponsored by the MCCY (Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth). https://more.whatsup.sg/casual-racism/ Talented writer Wei Shan interviewed and spoke to many people who had experienced and quietly borne the hurt of casual racism in their lives. Being part of the racial ma

In recent years, I learned that ICERD stands for “The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination”, that Singapore is a part of. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-submits-first-report-on-icerd-the-convention-to-eliminate-racial-discrimination I’m glad What’s Up (the awesome local children’s newspaper I illustrate regularly for) is actively trying to help our young readers understand the big issue of racism, and how we can a