Chinese New Year is an important festival and is thriving in Singapore. In Singapore, festivities extended to Chinatown, River Hongbao and Chingay Parade.
Chinese New Year is also part of our intangible cultural heritage. Lunar New year is a festival that marks the start of the New year and is widely celebrated by the Chinese community in Singapore.
Eating reunion dinner with family is a main activities on the New Year Eve. Watching lion and dragon dance, offering greeting with a pair of oranges and receiving red packets are the main activities during the Chinese New Year period.
I have illustrated the Yue Hwa Chinese Products, it is a leading 50 year old department store located in the heart of Chinatown. The department store is housed in Nam Tin Building, constructed in 1927 and designed by Swan and McLaren. It was founded in HongKong in 1959 and it took over the Nam Tin Building in the period of 1993 to 1996. It is the only department store in Singapore that specialising in Chinese products, namely silk, antiques, gifts and cheongsams.
Drawing inspirations from the lively Chinatown streets lighting decorations and festive atmosphere organised by Chinatown festival, I have invigorated the department store and the streets of Chinatown with bold bright colours and characters, auspicious animals and Chinese New Year items.
The first artwork features The Eye catching Dragon and Tiger leaping up in the air. In Chinese culture, Dragon and Tiger both represent good luck and power and is especially suitable in the festive illustration. I have drawn the architectural perspective drawing of the department store’s main building and its side view. It is a challenge to draw the building as it combines both contemporary and original architecture.
The second artwork features dragon and lion dance which had also always been a main feature of Chinese New Year celebrations. In Chinese culture, it symbolises strength, brings luck and prosperity. For both the artworks, I had painted the scenery red which symbolising good fortune, luck and it serves to enliven the Chinese new year atmosphere. Various fun characters and auspicious items such as the tangerine, lanterns, red packets, gold ingots are added into my artwork to give the urban landscape a look that resembles the tiger’s energetic energy.
My illustration style is brightly coloured and hope to immerses everyone into my illustration world. Happy New Year !!
Comments are closed.