Brief

Make a creative composition utilising the three basic shapes: triangles, squares and circles. Fill each shape with its ideal colour. Consider how this could be related to Singaporean culture.

 

Response

When it comes to describing the Singaporean culture, one of the most commonly used phrase is “East meets West”. Derived from a fusion of both Eastern and Western cultures, Singapore’s culture is colourful and eclectic. Whether viewed as a clash or combination, hodgepodge or harmonious integration, they is no denying that our culture has been heavily influenced by the two spectrums.

The concentric red circles in the background represent our ever expanding country. Like the circles that gradually increase in size, Singapore continues to grow and take in the different cultures. I decided to colour the circles red since Singapore is nicknamed the “little red dot”, and to signify our ambition as a nation.

The triangles represent the influences from around the world. They spread across the width of the image, just as how the mix of different influences is evident in all aspects of the Singaporean lifestyle. The two bigger triangles point outwards in the East West direction, reminiscent of a compass needle, while the four smaller triangles point inwards and converge at the centre, just as how the different cultures come together to make up our core essence.

The blue squares on the right represent our youth as a nation. They offset the symmetry established by the other shapes and are reminiscent of bubbles floating upwards. As a small and young nation, Singapore is always trying to establish itself among the world leaders, continually striving to rise above and reach greater heights.