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Artwalk pays homage to Little India’s heritage

SINGAPORE — If you are visiting Little India this weekend, a giant, colourful portrait of iconic Tamil cinema superstar Rajinikanth at the Hindoo Road car park just might stop you in your tracks.

SINGAPORE — If you are visiting Little India this weekend, a giant, colourful portrait of iconic Tamil cinema superstar Rajinikanth at the Hindoo Road car park just might stop you in your tracks.

Measuring about 14m high and 10m wide, the mural was painted by well-known urban artist Mohammed Zulkarnaen Othman, also known 
as Zero.

“I chose a portrait of Rajinikanth because he is a revered figure in Indian cinema and pop culture among South Asians. He started out from a humble background as a bus conductor before becoming the icon that he is today,” said Zero, adding that he wants to pay homage to the “community of South Asian migrant workers who help us build our country”.

“The reactions I got from people while I was painting were highly positive. Some bought me and my assistant drinks, and a few of them even thanked me for painting Rajinikanth. They see him as an inspiration,” he added.

This mural is just one of 22 artworks, installations, performances and fringe activities that can be enjoyed all around the district as part of the Artwalk Little India festival.

Running from Jan 12 to 17, the event, which is now into its third edition, is part of Singapore Art Week 2017.

Organised by arts management students from LaSalle College of the Arts in partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board, this year’s Artwalk features self-guided tours of the large-scale art pieces by homegrown artists, live music and dance acts, and immersive performances inspired by the rich culture of this vibrant heritage precinct.

Another striking wall mural that pays tribute to migrant workers is Madan Mogra, Jasmine of the City by Nadiah Alsagoff at 27 Chander Road, which displays the Jasmine flower as a symbol of growth and the determination of the migrant workers in Singapore.

Over at the Project Oasis Little India (Poli) site at Clive Street is another mural by Safaruddin Abdul Hamid titled I Am Still Here, where the face of an ethnic Indian woman in traditional apparel and accessories adorns an entire wall.

The artist wanted to put a face to Little India, a place with a wealth of tradition and history that continues to withstand the test of time.

Poli at Clive Street is also where the main performance stage for Artwalk will be located.

A range of live music and dance performances will be held throughout the evening. This includes the melding of jazz and classical music by Lotus Collab, a group of like-minded musicians from different musical genres that has been producing original fusion music since 2015.

An event first is an inter-disciplinary collaboration between MA Fine Arts student Tinu Verghis and Melissa Quek, head, school of dance and theatre at LaSalle, to present Kanmani, an installation and performance piece that uses colourful glass bangles to evoke a sense of belonging and reflection. “The multiplicity of distortions and images created by the dancers’ movements adds a different dimension to my work,” said Verghis.

There will also be storytelling sessions in an old shophouse in 37 Campbell Lane by Kamini Ramachandran, founding member and four-term president of the Storytelling Association (Singapore) from 2008 to 2012, artistic director for the Singapore International Storytelling Festival and a regular at storytelling festivals around the world.

Be enthralled by her tales every evening at 7pm during the festival period except on Jan 15, as she brings you back in time with ancient folktales from India. These sessions will be followed by a saree-draping activity, where you can take selfies while wearing the traditional Indian garb.

“Little India is a key cultural precinct that plays an important role in telling the multicultural story of Singapore in its unique manner,” said Kenneth Lim, Singapore Tourism Board’s director of Cultural Precincts Development.

“Through Artwalk Little India, the students from LaSalle College of the Arts will bring to life the precinct’s heritage and character through visual and performing arts that further deepen visitors’ appreciation of the precinct and community.”

Physical copies 
of the festival map will be available at two suggested starting points: 
67 Kerbau Road (Little India MRT Exit E, at ‘Cattleland 2’) and Clive Street Green Space (Main Stage). For more information, visit http://www.lasalle.edu.sg/events/artwalk-little-india-2017/

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