Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong recently took a stroll along the alleys of Chinatown to admire its murals, accompanied by the artist of said murals himself, Yip Yew Chong.
In a YouTube video posted by Wong, Yip shared tidbits of information about himself.
This includes his childhood in Chinatown, which inspired one of the large murals in the neighbourhood, depicting himself and his siblings playing an aeroplane board game.
Wong shared that he himself grew up in Marine Parade.
The pair then took the opportunity to paint a picture together of something quintessentially Singaporean — a kaya toast breakfast, complete with kopi and soft-boiled eggs.
Here's the finished product after 15 minutes.
Screenshot from LawrenceWongST / YouTube
When asked by Yip how often he paints, Wong candidly replied "never", although he did admit that he took art classes in school.
"But that was so long ago," he said.
When asked by Wong why he decided to take a leap of faith to become an artist full-time, Yip responded:
"It's actually because my works were [getting] more and more recognised when I was doing this part-time. It has actually made many people happy, who [also] encouraged me, 'You have to do more.'
And it's all about the Singapore I grew up in, which resonated with many people, and the older generations also [get to] teach the younger generations, this was how we used to live."
In turn, Wong replied:
"It's a very inspiring story, and we hope you will inspire many people to also consider what their passion is and to do something that will be fulfilling and meaningful for them."
Screenshot from LawrenceWongST / YouTube
More about Yip Yew Chong
Top photo from LawrenceWongST / YouTube