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Exploring Everton Murals with Your Child

By November 17, 2016 , , ,

I love to explore new areas and neighborhoods, and one of my favorite companions on these mini-expeditions is my 3-year old son. It's one of the ways I like to spend quality one-on-one time with him. It's also my way of encouraging him to observe and be curious about the world outside. Not too long ago, we set out to visit the Everton Murals, located on Everton Road in the Tanjong Pagar district. They were painted by Singaporean artist Yip Yew Chong who wanted to depict scenes from his childhood days. Although his murals portray simple scenes from everyday life, they manage to evoke a sense of nostalgia about the "kampong" (meaning village or small community) feel of Singapore from decades ago. There are three sets of his paintings on Everton Road, titled "Amah", "Provision Shop", and "Barber".

My little kiddo loved walking around and looking at the murals! He asked questions about what he saw on the walls and we weaved stories about them. He excitedly pointed out details of the paintings that caught his eye. He playfully touched the animals painted on the walls. And the cutest part? He willingly obliged me by posing in front of the murals for pictures. It was an evening well-spent...and the best part was that this open-air museum experience was all for free!

In case you're interested to explore more, there are many places around Singapore where you'll find murals or graffiti. Certain areas are known for them, such as Haji Lane with its bright, eye-popping paints (my post about it here). But you'll also find them in unexpected, hidden corners or quiet residential neighborhoods. I'm talking about places like Tiong Bahru (post here), Somerset Park (post here), Kampong Glam area (picture here), and lastly the Everton Murals. For more information on Yip's paintings in different locations around Singapore, check out his website yipyc.com.
While my son was smitten by the lazy cat sitting on the chair, I couldn't help but notice the colorful bowls sitting on the cupboard, which are very characteristic of the Perenakan design
Pretending to feed the chickens
"Amah" mural showing a domestic helper with a washboard doing laundry
Mural portraying a street vendor handing a schoolboy a bowl of noodles and chopsticks
 "Provision Shop" showing an old-school convenience store of the kinds you barely see anymore
"Barber"
The artist putting his stamp on his paintings with his name, date, and website

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