This 30m x 8.4m high mural is located at Woodlands Health Campus’s South Event Plaza. It aims to capture the community spirit of Woodlands. There are scenes of the Campus, familiar scenes of the heartlands, glimpses of the Johore Straits with the Causeway and future RTS, and a scene reminiscing Woodlands when it was dotted with kampongs. The scenes are interwoven to form one timeless and whimsical scene. Look closer, and you’ll see little nuggets of daily life. An NS boy who has just booked out, is on his way to visit a loved one with a bouquet of flowers. In the heartland, while neighbours share food, groups of friends and pigeons gossip at the coffeeshop. Kids scream as they watch a flypast. At the park, chickens are as active as the park goers! They are all mundane yet familiar and heartwarming.
Staff from Woodlands Health and students from the nearby schools came to help paint the mural, adding to the community vibe. Woodlands Health aims to not just build a hospital, but a place that cares for residents in the Northwest region, both inside and outside its campus. During its construction phase, it set up Communities of Care that promoted healthy living and brought people together. The mural reflects this vision and the continuing journey.
In the design, I tried to blend the mural with the existing uneven wall structure and tall pillars fronting it. I painted two tall trees to match the 6 tall pillars in the plaza. When seen together, one can feel like being surrounded by tall trees.
I felt most honoured when Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong came to open the mural by writing the letter “W” (of Woodlands) as a finishing stroke.
