Throwback to my first steps in Singapore, July 2014. That month, my impression of Singapore changed forever. Yes, it is a beautiful and modern first world country; but what amazed me wasn’t the beautiful skyscrapers or splendid shopping malls. As a foreigner who came to start a new life and learn more about the culture,
The “Hungry Ghost Festival” in Singapore was something that I had never seen before in my life. I remember jogging along my estate in Toa Payoh that first month without a clear understanding of what the festival meant. Seeing incense sticks lit along the road side and people burning huge paper offerings aroused my curiosity and at the same time, I felt lucky that I managed to experience this, a moment not many tourists would never encounter, notice or appreciate. “Hungry Ghost Festival” presents a side of Singapore’s personality that I would love to tell people. I would love to show how beautiful and mysterious the story is through a pair of fresh eyes, through my own perception and interpretation. This festival has all the materials we need to create a piece of art. There is charisma, an abundance of colours, deep background stories rooted in culture, and aspects that not many dare to dive deeper into. I have always wanted to turn this into an inspiration, to make something that is meaningful but lighthearted, something that isn’t so impactful at first but slowly reveal its depth and leads us to forever question our interpretation of the festival. I believe we will all have different answers.
script writer: Alice Dinh
supervisors: Ian Tay, Nasri Sadi, Eugene Ng, Eugene Tan, Myx
Producer: David Kuan
Illustrator: Alice Dinh