Completing this project felt surreal – what a privilege it was to have the opportunity to complete my first-ever painting series of home while at home. I honestly could not believe that I was able to live the dream I had years ago as a child of being an artist, spending my weeks drawing and painting what I loved, and perhaps more meaningfully, the buildings built by one I loved dearly.
I wonder what it would be like if my grandfather were still alive today – would he feel fully represented and remembered through the buildings he built and the paintings I had painted of them? Would he be delighted knowing his existence is remembered and preserved? Would he be proud of me?
In some ways, creating this painting series makes me reflect on the legacy of my grandfather and the generation of pioneer architects by his side. Will their impact on the nation only be remembered when they, and maybe even their buildings, have left us? Will we only yearn for the historical landscape once they are gone and become nostalgia?
Sometimes I wished I had started this project earlier to show my grandfather that his impact is recognised and will be remembered, allowing him to rest knowing that his work was a worthy cause.
I never once recalled my grandfather requesting me to take pictures of his buildings or paint them from him, and in fact, never openly shared his past stories unless we asked. And when asked, he spoke of his life with a down-to-earth tone, speaking of the reality of the toil and labour the pioneer generation went through. He never once boasted of his achievements and the monumental scales of his works, remaining humble about the awards under his belt.
My grandfather was an award-winning pioneer architect who built the foundational landscape of independent Singapore. But to me, my grandfather was a man who cared deeply for his family. He doted on my grandmother, cared for my uncle and mother, and looked out for my brother and me. He waited for me in the lobby while I finished my lessons for the day, he bought me snacks when I was hungry and he fetched me to my art classes as a child and allowed me to discover my passion and love for art.
He never once asked to be remembered, and Works by his hand is the least I can do to preserve his legacy to the nation and to his family. Of laying the foundations of the nation’s revolutionary landscape, and birthing my love for art.
