If you’ve visited Little India in the past few weeks, you might have come across some colourful murals painted on the walls of some buildings in the area and they seem to tell a story.
The memories and stories of the Little India precinct have come to life through the works of five local artists, featuring LASALLE College of the Arts (LASALLE) students and alumni.
The artists have drawn inspiration from their own perspectives of human relationships, history and the legacy of different parts of Little India in a public art project – Art Walk.
One of the artists Ms Eunice Lim, an alumnus of LASALLE’s Bachelor of Fine Arts programme, had previously done a wall mural on Buffalo Road featuring cattle in Art Walk Little India in 2015.
This year, she came back with Cattleland 2 on Kerbau Road. It pays homage to Little India’s cattle trading origins.
Said Ms Lim, 25: “Cattleland 2 is an extension of Cattleland. I imagined that as the cattle from the previous wall ‘disappeared’, they went around exploring Little India and interacting with the community.
“These cattle, being child-like, having fun, live in harmony with people. There is no difference between us and them. Each head of cattle represents each and every one of us as individuals with unique cultural and historical roots, enriching relationships and celebrating our diverse community.”
As for Mr Mohammed Zulkarnaen Othman, actor Rajinikanth was the first image that came to his mind when he was approached to paint a mural for the project.
“I felt that his cult-like status among the predominantly South Asian community that frequents the Little India area would resonate with the location,” said the 37-year-old artist, who is currently pursuing a Masters in Fine Arts at LASALLE.
Growing up watching Rajinikanth movies, he believes that his figure as a working class hero, who rose from a humble background, will be seen as an inspiration to many.
“In Little India, we often see the traditional aspects of Indian culture. My concerns as an artist have always been looking into contemporary culture as a point of reference and I feel that Indian cinema is an important part of the modern heritage of the Indian community,” said Mr Zulkarnaen, who painted the mural over four days.
For Ms Nadiah Alsagoff, her artwork was inspired by the jasmine flower.
“What first made me want to use jasmine in my work was how, on every street you walk by in Little India, you get sudden whiffs of jasmine. The street stalls on every corner have fresh jasmine buds and flower garlands.”
Her work looks at migrant workers as individuals and how their lives are affected by the circumstances they happen to be born into.
The jasmine plant is symbolic of their growth, longing, and determination for the families that they sacrifice so much for, said Ms Alsagoff.
The mural depicts a migrant worker planting a jasmine plant in the alleyway where it grows larger than life with many blooms.
The 26-year-old plant nursery manager who works in a landscape firm and often works closely with foreign workers, shared: “I feel that they are a big part of the community who tend to be overlooked or generalised. I wanted to create a piece that was testament to their lives here in Singapore,” she said.
The LASALLE fine arts alumnus, also gained a valuable experience apart from painting the mural.
“I got to know the people who live and work in the area – they would walk by, say hello and talk for a few minutes everyday. It is the experience of working in Little India daily for the three weeks which I feel really made working on this piece worthwhile. It made me fall in love with Little India even more,” she said.
mritak@sph.com.sg
Get a copy of tabla! for more stories.
