Serangoon North got its first street art mural, and it's full of heart

SINGAPORE — Spanning across the circumference of the uniquely shaped Block 151A coffee shop at Serangoon North Ave 1, is a mural that captures the essence of the lovely neighbourhood I grew up in.

And, as I found out while trying to discover the origins of the mural, it's also one of the last things former Workers' Party MP Leon Perera came up with before he resigned.

Perera had come up with the idea, the first of its kind in the neighbourhood, but the work is "now commissioned by the Aljunied GRC MPs as a community project to liven up the Serangoon North neighbourhood", said a spokesperson.

It's hard to miss, and caught my eye during one of my frequent eating visits to the area — since it wasn't there the last time I came by.

Created by artist Terence Tan, also known as UbinArtist, the mural captures the best bits and the heart of the place.

Serangoon North easter eggs

Tan spent time researching and talking to come up with the details of the murals, and if you're a resident here, you'll recognise the colourful birds from the famed Serangoon North pet shops, the delicious roti prata that you'll have to queue for at Block 151A, as well as the wet market located just next door.

To find out more about the inspiration behind the artwork, and how he came up with some of the cool little easter eggs, I spoke to Tan, who shared more about the mural.

"The process started with checking in with some residents and store owners. But it wasn’t easy at first as such a project hadn’t been attempted before at Serangoon North," said Tan, who started work earlier this year on 3 August.

"Eventually, as the outcome and quality of work revealed itself, residents began sharing ideas and contributed some references for me to work with."

One such reference is the inclusion of Gangster and Lily, two community cats who used to reside in the area. These cats, who have been recently adopted, used to have cardboard homes that one of the residents would make for them.

And Tan was very relieved to hear that he got the details right when a passerby pointed out to him that "that's Gangster and Lily" after looking at his mural.

All in all, Tan took a month to finish the mural, but due to the bad weather, he had to "rush through some of the later additions", and had to be selective on what he could focus on.

Tan also spoke to residents who talked to him as he was working on the piece, and one such resident, Rosalind Chek, even showed him a photo of her pet dog taken with the mural.

"To say goodbye to the piece, I wrote to her and other residents if they had any final thoughts or suggestions for the future of this mural and the wall. With their go-ahead, I put my name and IG handle on the wall, and finally, Rosalind’s quote," said Tan, who is hoping that this will be a "beginning of the next chapter" for him.

"This wall is dedicated to their cultures, memories, and community spirit that has endured. It was great to see members of the estate get together over the artwork, share stories and opinions (often deviating from the mural), or an umbrella as they watched the work. It was a wonderful community art process that I would be keen to explore again," said Tan in a Facebook post on 2 September.

Aloysius Low is an ex-CNET editor with more than 15 years of experience. He's really into cats and is currently reviewing products at canbuyornot.com

Do you have a story tip or something unique about your neighbourhood/community in Singapore you'd like to share with us? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.