Singapore street artist stages heritage exhibition

Street artist Yip Yew Chong with a piece of his work that is to be exhibited.

Singapore street artist Yip Yew Chong will be exhibiting his work at Sofitel Singapore City Centre from this week.

The ‘Stories From Yesteryear’ exhibition will feature canvas and digital artwork of Singapore’s heritage and major festivals and traditions, including Mid-Autumn Festival, Hari Raya Haji, Chingay procession and the Hungry Ghost Festival.

Singapore Sofitel City Centre’s general manager, Wouter de Graaf, described it as “a step back in time to a golden era in Singapore’s past”.

The artworks, which were painted between 2017 and 2021, evoke a sense of travelling back through history and embracing the heritage of the Lion City.

Yew Chong grew up in Chinatown and now lives in the multicultural and historical neighbourhood of Tanjong Pagar and is well-versed in Singapore’s local legends and stories.

“The hotel stands near the scene of one of the artworks, so people will be able to get a real sense of how much the city has developed over the years,” said de Graaf. “Tanjong Pagar is such a colourful neighbourhood and the hotel stands within a short walk to many of Yew Chong’s murals in nearby Everton Park and Chinatown, so it’s the perfect spot to immerse yourself in the works of this amazing artist.”

To complement the exhibition, the hotel will be offering a ‘Yesteryear Peranakan’ menu throughout March highlighting Yew Chong’s favourite childhood dishes which are also represnted in the paintings. The Peranakans are an ethnic group descended from the first waves of Chinese settlers in the Malay Peninsula between the 15th and 17th centuries.

The artist has also hand-drawn a walking map of the local area which will be available to Sofitel guests. ALL-Accor Live Limitless members will also have the opportunity to attend special artist’s evenings where Yew Chong will share the stories behind the artworks and guests will be able to enjoy the traditional Peranakan dishes depicted in the paintings.

“These artworks not only tell intimate stories of Singapore’s past but are very much a representation of my childhood and my imagination,” he said. “I painted these works over the past four years including a quite prolific period during the pandemic. I hope they will bring some joy at a time when we can’t travel overseas but we can still travel back in time and space in our minds.”

The hotel is also celebrating the launch with a staycation package including one night in a Luxury Room, access to the exhibition, breakfast for two, a curated Peranakan-inspired set dinner, a hand-crafted cocktail inspired by the artworks and a hand-drawn map. The staycation is available from February 26 to March 31 and prices start from S$349. Bookings online.

'Stories From Yesteryear' runs from February 26 to March 31, Sofitel Singapore City Centre, 9 Wallich Street, Singapore.