Love Yip Yew Chong’s murals? See more of his works at this Singapore hotel
Artist Yip Yew Chong is known for his nostalgic public murals that depict the Singapore of yesteryear. From Feb 26 to Mar 31, the artist will hold an intimate exhibition at Sofitel Singapore City Centre.
At the Stories From Yesteryear exhibition at Sofitel Singapore City Centre, Yip Yew Chong will showcase 24 paintings and four digital artworks. (Photo: Sofitel Singapore City Centre)
From Tanjong Pagar to Chinatown, street artist Yip Yew Chong has been beautifying the streets of Singapore with his vibrant murals that depict his childhood memories of growing up in the city.
Fans of his work will be glad to know that from Feb 26 to Mar 31, the artist, fresh off his first solo exhibition at Art Porters Gallery, will hold an intimate exhibition titled Stories From Yesteryear at Sofitel Singapore City Centre.
The exhibition will feature 24 canvas paintings and four digital artworks. Painted between 2017 and 2021, the scenes in the paintings provide a visual history of Singapore, including major cultural festivals and traditions such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, Hari Raya Haji, Chingay procession and the Hungry Ghost Festival. Entry to the exhibition is free.
In addition, Sofitel Singapore City Centre is located in Tanjong Pagar, where many of Yip’s street murals can be found. After the exhibition, visitors can explore his street murals in the area.
“Tanjong Pagar is such a colourful neighbourhood and the hotel stands within a short walk of many of Yip’s murals in nearby Everton Park and Chinatown, so it’s the perfect spot to immerse yourself in the works of this amazing artist,” said Wouter de Graaf, the hotel's general manager.
To tie in with the exhibition, the hotel is offering a special Yesteryear Peranakan menu for the month of March, highlighting dishes depicted in the paintings, and that reflect Yip’s childhood.
Members of the ALL (Accor Live Limitless) loyalty programme will have the chance to attend special evenings with the artist to hear him share the stories of each artwork and dine on the specially crafted traditional Peranakan dishes.
Yip has also hand-drawn a beautiful walking map of the area, which Sofitel will give to in-house guests so they can explore the artist’s murals in and around the hotel after the exhibition.
For those who’d like to stay the night, the hotel is offering the Stories From Yesteryear Package. Priced from S$349++, the package includes overnight accommodation in a Luxury Room; breakfast for two; a curated Peranakan-inspired set dinner at the hotel's in-house restaurant Racines; a hand-crafted cocktail inspired by the artworks; and a selection of Peranakan tapas at the in-house bar 1864.
Guests who book a staycation can even enter a competition to win a special high tea experience by taking photos of the murals and posting them on Instagram. The packages are available from Feb 26 to Mar 31.
Sharing his thoughts on the exhibition, Yip said, “I am excited to bring this exhibition to the Sofitel Singapore City Centre and to allow the people of Singapore to enjoy these artworks, which not only tell intimate stories of Singapore’s past but are very much a representation of my childhood and my imagination."
He added, "I painted these works over the past four years, including a prolific period during the pandemic. I hope they will bring some joy at a time when we can’t travel overseas but we can still travel back in time and space in our minds.”
"I hope (these paintings) will bring some joy at a time when we can’t travel overseas but we can still travel back in time and space in our minds.” – Yip Yew Chong
To book the Stories From Yesteryear staycation package, click here
