You might not know who Eng Siak Loy or Chua Mia Tee are, but chances are, you would have touched their work.

Or found their work very attractive.

Eng, 77, is the designer behind the Portrait Series of currency that we use in Singapore today.

Chua, 86, is the artist who drew that portrait of Yusof Ishak -- possibly the most viewed and admired portrait in Singapore.

Designing the Portrait Series

If you head over to the National Archives Oral History Interviews, you will find Eng's interview (Accession Number 003762) which was recorded in 2012.

Eng came from a big family and arrived in Singapore after the Japanese Occupation ended.

After studying until Primary 6, Eng left school due to financial difficulties and worked in his grandfather's business, writing letters for clan members to mail back to China.

There he developed his love for calligraphy and the arts, which he further indulged in at the Singapore Academy of Art.

Designed stamps

After establishing a career designing stamps, Eng was long-listed to join a competition to design a series of Singapore currency. In the second round, Eng and two others were shortlisted.

They had to submit a draft of the seven denominations. The front design would be the portrait of Encik Yusof Ishak, while the back designs were based on themes such as a Garden City, and Singapore's melting pot of cultures.

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"It nearly cost me my life"

According to the interview, Eng had to draw over 700 drafts for the back designs before the final seven were approved by a committee.

"It nearly cost me my life," he said.

The committee members made several demands which sometimes bordered insane.

"There were so many changes. One of the committee members might dream of an idea one night. The next day, he'd ask me to draw it, and demand that I submit it on the same day," lamented Eng. "There were too many people providing their opinions!"

Once is enough

While Eng is very happy he had the opportunity to design Singapore's currency, he maintained that designing it once is enough for a lifetime.

"My life is only this long, how can I spend another five years designing another series?" Eng said.

"While it was difficult, I also received satisfaction. How many people can say they designed currency notes?"

Aside from being aesthetically-pleasing, Eng said the designs had to incorporate security features that help to prevent counterfeiting. If you're interested in the various security features, click here.

One interesting feature that caters to the visually-impaired is the Braille codes printed in heavy intaglio (raised) ink on the top right hand corners of the currency notes. These allow the visually-impaired to identify the value of the notes they are handling.

According to Eng, some parts of the currency are also designed with raised ink to act as a an anti-counterfeit measure.

Eng also let on that the first draft was made of 100 percent cotton. This eventually changed to paper.

Aside from the various security features embedded in the currency design, Eng mentioned the inclusion of the cowrie shells as a nod back to the time Singapore used shells as currency:

Eng's talents extend beyond designing money.

He is also famous for designing the Botanic Garden's Tanglin Gate and the “Our Rainforest Heritage” mural at the Tyersall Gate Visitor Centre.

If you're interested to read more about Eng's life, you can listen to his Mandarin interviews (Accession Number 003762) at the National Archives.

Top image by Joshua Lee