Earlier this term, SEC hosted a competition inspired by our CCA’s writing activity where participants had to find a piece of art that sparked something within them and write a story about it! Though all entries were amazing, we couldn’t help but be particularly moved by these three works. So, let us take you on a journey through these art pieces, each painting vastly different, but all intriguing tales…
First Place: Amelia Chee En Xi (4E)
Hugues Merle’s The Lunatic of Etretat
Credits for image: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/the-lunatic-of-etretat-hugues-merle/QgE1dKIjeemv7A?hl=en
"There’s a mad woman who sits on that well all day,” they say. Her unwavering stare pierces your soul like a dagger to a heart.
The plentiful bloodshot sclera at the bottom of her wide, unblinking eyes gives her a crazed look. She sits precariously on the edge of the well barefoot, with an arched foot perched delicately on a rock, her hair blowing softly in the wind. It gives her an unintentional air of grace, creating a jarring juxtaposition with her menacing glare. She cradles a baby close to her. But it isn't a baby. It is a log of wood wrapped in a blanket, dressed in a red baby bonnet. Telltale signs of a lunatic.
But that is all they can see. No one ever asks why, for the reason behind the desperation, the anger, and the longing in her crazed eyes. It is, in their opinion, irrelevant to the story. The story of the mad woman who sits at the well, cradling a log of wood possessively as if it were a human baby. They do not know that there is another story, lurking underneath the facts of the one they can see.
Lunacy wasn't the cause of her erratic behaviour.
Her torn sleeves and dishevelled appearance were stark evidence of a recent attack that left her childless, sitting on the well where her baby had fallen in.
The bonnet was all she could catch before her baby fell to her death.
She wasn't a lunatic, she was a mother mourning the death of her child.
People spoke horrid things in front of her as if she wasn’t capable of comprehending what they said. But they pitied her husband. “Poor man, his wife has gone completely insane,” they sympathised with the man, the same man who had thrown their child down the well because he wasn’t fond of having a daughter instead of a son.
The wails of her baby falling to her death still ring in her ears as she sits on the well all day holding her log of wood. And the man goes on with his life as if he did not commit a heinous and cruel crime. But of course, the woman was the one who was the lunatic.
Second Place: Yip Ziying Schnabel (24J06)
Emily Xu’s Salome
⚠️Trigger Warning⚠️: The following artwork and story contains imagery that some may find dark.
Credits for image: https://www.instagram.com/emilyamiao/p/Cekw6zNO8Bi/?img_index=1
A chorus of paeans rang out, as flowers bloomed at her feet. The golden veils shrouded the room, and the moon shook, moving along with her as one. Goblets of red wine were hurled towards the floor, a mocking offering from the peasants to the goddess herself.
Why, humans always bargained for more than what they could repay.
“Dance!” They screeched. “Cast your pale lights unto us! For I promise a lavish feast for you to devour when the flowers bloom!”
Their prayers reached her ears. Upon her touch, the withered roses soaked in her intoxicating perfume. The red wine parted before her, creating a heavenly mosaic as she danced before the dais. Murmurs of prayers echoed, a continuous hymn to complete the ritual.
When the red blood moon rose to the sky, a primordial flower bloomed in the centre of the room. A fruit hung from within.
“Then I demand the fruit of death as an offering.” The moon mandated. “There shall be no point of return! For nothing shall ever satisfy my thirst except for this!”
Metal clashed. The fruit fell. Pomegranate seeds spilt across the golden platter. Like a butterfly drawn to nectar, her delicate steps sank towards the floor. Rivulets of blood tattooed her soft palms as her hands lingered against flesh. Holding up the fruit, she drank in the wine, breathing life once more into her crimson lips.
Third Place: Wang Si Yin (24J03)
Yip Yew Chong and Tobyato’s Clarke Quay Mural; The Fire Fish
Credits for image: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/consumer/clarke-quay-reopens-as-day-to-night-destination-with-fairprice-finest-fitness-studio-among-tenants
人类与动物的战争 天长地久
旗鱼何时看过 染红的海域
The war between mankind (the humans on the swordfishes) and animals (the swordfishes) has existed since time immemorial. But who has yet seen the colours of those waters where the wars took place…
I gotta be honest. This piece attracted me in the first place because it was the brainchild of the amalgamation of 2 of my favourite mural artists in Singapore, Tobyato and Yip Yew Chong. One I chanced upon while in my realistic Chinatown murals era, and the other I too chanced upon at a youth park event. Being an artist and creator myself, I admire and respect them both. When I found out they collaborated, I thought I’d probably go have a look at it myself.
Yip Yew Chong and Tobyato have distinctly different, almost clashing art styles. If you’ve looked at both their works, Yip Yew Chong’s work is much more realistic. It has an emphasis on interesting sights in Singapore history, such as a traditional Singaporean household, and a bird singing corner or a Cantonese opera theatre just to name a few (but of course they couldn’t be complete without a grumpy cat.) Meanwhile, Tobyato’s work gives off a more modern look, with his signature style being long, broad strokes and vibrant colours. Reasonably, both have their charm.
What amazes me is how two artists with polar opposite art styles could come together to create an artwork, not to mention have it out so well! This shows how art can really bond people together, even if the way a group of people think, or create art differs, the concept of any sort of creation, or if you’d call it synthesis, alone, is the common tapestry that provides them with the courage to collaborate to create a masterpiece. In the dying arts scene of Singapore, that courage is made all the more commendable. and it also further juxtaposes the beauty of the final product. Perhaps this could even serve as an inspiration to rising artists that it is possible to collaborate in such a manner.
Congratulations to our winners! Thank you for all your awesome submissions, and do look out for more of our competitions in the future!
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