From Tanjong Pagar to Chinatown, an artist paints his memories of Singapore

Singaporean artist Yip Yew Chong has been beautifying the city-state’s streets for years with his vibrant street murals and now, for the first time, shows off is work in an exhibition titled Stories From Yesteryear at the Sofitel Singapore City Centre. The exhibition, which features 24 canvas paintings and 4 digital artworks, will be showcased at the hotel from 26 February 2021 to 31 March. 

Painted between 2017 and 2021, the scenes in the paintings are panoramic yet intricate and provide a visual history of Singapore including major cultural festivals and traditions such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, Hari Raya Haji, Chingay procession and the Hungry Ghost Festival. Yew Chong grew up in Chinatown and now resides in Tanjong Pagar, so his intimate knowledge of the area’s legends and stories evokes a sense of traveling back through history.

To allow guests to really connect with the art of Yip Yew Chong, the hotel is offering for the month of March, a special Yesteryear Peranakan menu which will highlight some favourite dishes that reflect Yew Chong’s childhood and are depicted in the paintings. Yew Chong has also hand-drawn a beautiful walking map of the area, which the Sofitel will give to in-house guests so they can explore the artist’s murals in and around the hotel after the exhibition.

Members of ALL – Accor Live Limitless loyalty program will have the chance to attend special evenings with the artist to hear him share the stories of each artwork and dine on traditional Peranakan dishes depicted in the paintings. Sofitel hotels and Sofitel Singapore City Centre have previously collaborated with numerous artists and exhibitions since opening including William Sim, who produced an exclusive colouring in book featuring the hotel. 

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