Singaporeans pay tribute to Lee Kuan Yew through art
As ex-prime minister Lee Kuan Yew remains critically ill, Singaporeans have begun expressing their well wishes in various creative ways.
From get-well-soon tweets and Facebook posts to cards and impressive artwork, many of them have been shared widely on social media.
One of the art pieces that have garnered considerable attention on Facebook is a creation by local artist Pepper See.
The 36-year-old started on the artwork on Thursday after returning from a long European trip, and after she viewed several videos of Lee online.
Her piece, created using acrylic on paper, was based on a still from a video showing an interview of Lee during the time when Malaysia and Singapore severed ties.
“Nobody has done a portrait of him during that moment when he cried… a lot of people have drawn images of him smiling, which is typical… I wanted to do something different,” See said, in a phone interview with Yahoo Singapore.
What was going through her mind while working on the artwork?
“Mr Lee is brilliant, eloquent… there’s nobody like him,” said See, who is currently a part-time lecturer at Republic Polytechnic.
She then posted a photo of the almost finished artwork -- according to See it still needs minor finishing touches -– on Facebook and Instagram, with the caption, “I normally don't paint famous people... but I've been saddened by the posts on social media about the anticipated demise of a brilliant man, the father of our nation. So here's my tribute to our charismatic leader. Whoever can't fill his shoes to build the society we want can hopefully walk taller.”
See is not the only person who has shared images of artworks of Lee on social media.
The founder of social agency GOODSTUPH, Pat Law, has been posting artworks of Lee done by artist Ong Hui Har on her Facebook wall.
Sand artist Lawrence Koh also shared a video of himself creating an artwork of Lee.
Those who wish to give cards or flowers to Lee Kuan Yew may do so at Singapore General Hospital, at a designated area outside Block 7.
