We The People: Ng Tze Yong on the lost art of effigy-making and keeping heritage businesses alive

We The People is a column commemorating Singapore’s independence and the people who are working towards making our country an even better place. In it, we speak to a diverse slate of personalities, from environmentalists and entrepreneurs to trailblazing creatives for their vision of society. These are the voices that make Singapore home.as a matter of chance by walking up the hills of Neil Road to a cafe.

Today, Tze Yong has a challenge of his own: to reinvent the business for the younger generation whilst still keeping the traditions of the art form alive. To do so, he trades his “MacBook and Chrome tabs for hand tools, solvents and statues in various stages of a makeover,” once a week to apprentice with his grandma and dad.

Unlike monotheistic religions, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of deities in the Taoist pantheon. They represent a diverse and inclusive representation of divinity: there are deities who are men and women, elderly and children, humans and beasts, warlords and magistrates, saints and rebels. What we use instead is joss stick ash. When you light an incense, the smoke carries your petitions up into heaven, and the ash falls. We collect the ash, wash them, turn them into dough using a special recipe, and then twirl and coil them to make the motifs on the clothes of the very deities you pray to. It’s a beautiful cycle. It’s also frugal innovation. Joss stick ash is used because the powder needs to be extremely fine to make the thin threads that depict the intricate patterns.

What are some of the most unforgettable pieces Say Tian Hng has made or an interesting piece you’d like to share?

Source: Entertainment Trends (entertainmenttrends.net)

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