"Urban Intimacy: 48 Lower Delta Road"

101x101cm (40"x40")
Acrylic on canvas. 2025.
Shortlisted UOB painting of the year '25.

This painting was inspired by an old HDB block at 48 Lower Delta Road. I've passed this building many times, and each time I’ve been fascinated by the perfect symmetry of its façade and by how much life you can feel just by looking at it - each balcony tells its own quiet story: freshly washed laundry sways like flags of domestic ritual, potted plants are tended with care, national flags flutter with pride, and strings of lights hint at festivity or simple joy.

The creative inspiration comes from the concept of “urban intimacy” - how private lives unfold within shared public spaces. Singapore’s HDBs are more than functional housing; they’re layered with personal stories, community rituals, and visual rhythms unique to each family. I find beauty in the ordinary - the way people express identity, tradition, and care in the smallest everyday gestures.

There’s something deeply human about these balconies. They’re both public and private, exposed yet personal, silent but full of life. These details may go unnoticed in daily life, but when you slow down and really look, they reveal the quiet poetry of living.