Euphoria in Christmas

Week 13.

Submission of our final assignment: A scene in the story you wrote in class.

Two weeks prior, Professor Kelly gave us the topic for our final assignment. It wasn’t exactly a one word or a one sentence topic. Rather, she posed us with question prompts to craft a story based on our memory, triggered by ‘food’.

For my final piece, I’ve decided to embark on a composition triggered by Chimney Cakes, locally known as Kürtőskalács in Hungary. The flavour of the Chimney Cake I had was cinnamon and sugar.

Here goes my story:
Two years ago, I was at a Christmas market in Hungary. My purpose for being there was pleasure – a Christmas vacation with my parents. The time then was late afternoon/evening, where the skies were turning dark. Though the sun has set, there were still light from the sky. The bulbs from the street lights, as well as the Christmas lightings/decorations contributed to providing light around the area. The air felt cold – a comfortable, cozy cold – and smelled a little smokey due to food being cooked, and wine being mulled, in the stalls around us. I was marvelling at the way Chimney Cakes were made, as well as waiting for my opportunity to savour this lovely cake goodness. I saw people, Christmas lights, trees, and beautiful architecture. There were noises from the crowd and a hint of  varying Christmas songs. Cobblestone tiles were at my feet. Street lamps and the sky were above my head. The Christmas market was set up at an open space area.

img_0364
Composition Sketches #01 – #03
img_0367-1
Sketch #04
img_0367-2
Sketch #05
img_0369
Final Sketch

Euphoria – a feeling of intense excitement and happiness.

The title of my final piece is ‘Euphoria in Christmas‘ because I want to express the state of intense joy I feel during Christmas. Christmas has a euphoric magic on me that I can’t explain. I just feel, happy. The story of my final piece is not based on a dramatic scene. Rather, it is one that is ordinary and can be easily overlooked. It is simply soaking the Christmas atmosphere at a Christmas market. This scene, to me, is one of bliss where I get to enjoy the simplicity of life – being in the moment, not rushing through it, and being with my family.

A Chimney Cake is not a luxurious food item. It is a domestic delicacy one is able to get at an affordable price locally.

Coming from a commercialised, modern Asian city, I am often mesmerised by the architecture in Europe. Perhaps to the masses who grew up with these buildings, the European architecture is nothing special. But to me, the intricacies of these architectures – curves in its details, fascinates me. They contrast the uniform buildings filled with standard shapes and lines that I am used to. There are great details even in the street lamps. Instead of drawing the street lamp that is originally in the picture of the background of my final piece, I decided to draw another lamp which has more intricate details to encapsulate my awe with the details of Europe.

Why have I decided to draw a picture plane of a Christmas festive in Europe, you may wonder. Why not Christmas at home, or Christmas elsewhere – in other continents? Well, I find Christmas in Europe more homely, simplistically, in Europe, than the Christmas we have in Singapore. Not that the Christmas in Singapore isn’t exciting. Rather, it is a little too fancy for a fuzzy feel. Christmas in Europe feels warm and cozy, despite the chilly weather. It is truly a time where families gather. It is also a time I get to spend with my parents without the distractions of the hustle and bustle of the demands of work back home.

Christmas just feels so right to me. I get immensely happy even when I listen to Christmas songs. My final composition is one memory that I would like to keep and relive it. Hopefully it gives the same sense of tranquility and euphoria to you who see it too 🙂 .


As the semester concludes, so will our art class – DA1000. It has been an exciting journey filled with discovery. Art is something I’ve always wanted to try my hand at, but never had the chance to do so. Despite the short duration of thirteen weeks, I’ve learnt a great deal, and feel like I have a more intimate walk with art than I do in the past. Thank you Professor Kelly and all of my course mates for this interesting art journey. It gave me the opportunity for a couple of ‘first times’. From life drawing to clay sculpting, art is a lesson I always look forward to, and would be pumped about. All the best for your upcoming examinations, and your future endeavours. May you have a wonderful winter hauls, and a beautiful Christmas. Till we meet again (hopefully in the next art class), cheers!