Lunch Hour. Telok Ayer.

The intersection of Boon Tat and Telok Ayer Streets is where the first migrants of modern Singapore landed. The sea lapped at the shore right there. They came to trade and for victuals. This street corner is packed with history. You can see a pillar of the Nakhoda Dargah in my painting and down the street is the iconic Goddess of Mercy Temple. I placed a group of everyday people here. They could be tourists-or Singaporeans. The intense light is meant to convey midday, empty streets-and lunch hour. What do people do in Singapore? They love to eat. Unknown to them, they are about to share a ritual that started ages ago at that very place. The Singaporean Lunch. I wanted to establish a continuum through something quite mundane and yet timeless.