Elderly S'porean man still making portrait art out of twigs in Pek Kio, wins new fans

An elderly man has been spotted over the years making intricate portraits out of twigs in Pek Kio in the Farrer Park area.

The senior's works of art were shared again in a post in the Facebook group, "Heritage SG Memories" on Jul. 30 by Purp Tran.

Pek Kio resident artist

According to Purp Tran, the elderly man has been working on his craft around the Pek Kio area every morning, creating portraits out of twigs.

"There won't be another quite like him," Purp Tran added in the post's caption.

The post has since garnered hundreds of comments and shares and thousands of likes.

Other users similarly praised the senior for his talent.

Artworks appear around estate

Other users also shared photos of their own encounters with the elderly man and his art in the comments.

One commenter, Rogger Yap, managed to catch the elderly man in action.

User Joel Ng pointed out that he had come across a similar twig portrait while in the area, but initially found it "freaky to have a random image by the carpark".

The post, however, enlightened him about the portrait's origins.

Others wondered and guessed what the elderly's creations were of.

One user, Gwen Sin, pointed out that the Chinese characters in the photos uploaded by Tran was the name of a Chinese film from back in the days.

The portraits of the woman he created is always approximately the same each time.

No stranger to internet fame

If you're wondering why the elderly man or his creations looked familiar, it's because this is not the first time they have won over the internet.

The elderly man is Uncle Thien.

Back in 2020, Uncle Thien was featured on Member of Parliament Alvin Tan's Facebook.

It was revealed then that Uncle Thien is a resident at Owen Road.

Twig art is not the only artistic medium Uncle Thien practices.

Coffee art and portraits on paper are part of his repertoire as well.

https://mothership.sg/2021/11/draw-using-coffee-art-singapore/

When asked in an interview with Mothership back in 2020 what he thought about his new-found fame, Uncle Thien remarked, "When I go to the market everyone looks at me. I feel embarrassed and I don't dare to go down [to the market]."

That aside, he found encouragement in the positive comments he received. He also rejected offers for donations or coffee, saying that he "did not want trouble anyone".

Top image via Purp Tran / Facebook.