Living Legacies: Preserving Our Heritage Through Art
THE STRAITS CHINESE or Peranakan style is a blend of Chinese, Malay, European and Colonial elements which flourished from the late 19th Century to World War II.
Rich in details and built with care, the style has humble beginnings. It first appeared in simple shophouses where tradesmen toiled, and was only later adopted in the elaborate terrace homes of wealthy merchant families.
SCENE SHANG shares our values and vision of preserving culture and heritage in a modern world with Singapore's finest artists and craftsmen including local renown artist Arthur P.Y. Ting.
Mr Ting has a portfolio of sculptural works done across Singapore’s commercial spaces, from government offices to malls since 1981. His expertise and style is in using hard materials like metal, and acrylic rods to create pieces of work that are aesthetically fluid and soft. In 1985, The Mini Window series birthed out of a passion to preserve the beauty of Peranakan architecture in our region in an artistic three-dimensional form, using materials like cardboard, sand and metal wires and adding softer touches through water colour.
A client’s home adorned with the shophouse facade of 147 Neil Road in Singapore. On the windows are words of blessings specially customised for the client and above the door frame is their family name - 林府 (Home of the Lim’s)
The YUAN Mini Windows Collection is a specially commissioned limited series made exclusively for SCENE SHANG by Mr Arthur P.Y. Ting.
A photo taken in a museum in Suzhou, China.
Iconic Singaporean shophouse windows sit elegantly framed within the hexagon and plum-shapes of each art piece, inspired by the window frames of Chinese gardens.
The negative space resemble the white walls, urging you to pause for a closer look through the frame motifs, and ponder the exquisite details of their art. And foster a deeper appreciation for the preservation of our history.
Pause for a closer look, and ponder the intricate details of these beautiful 3-dimensional paintings, inspired by Singapore’s rich architectural history.
Mr Ting, now 76 years old, continues to capture Singapore's culture, heritage and values in his works.
Come and view the details of heritage in art at SCENE SHANG @ OCBC Wisma Atria.
READ MORE ABOUT THE ARTIST: Mr Arthur P.Y. Ting
READ ABOUT OTHER LIVING LEGACIES: