S’pore Artist Depicts HDB Void Deck Funeral, Daringly Recreates ‘Taboo’ Yet Common Local Scene

Artist Yip Yew Chong Paints HDB Void Deck Funeral As Latest Part Of Epic 60m Mural

When people think about archetypal slices of life in Singapore, their mind invariably drifts to uncles sitting in kopitiams or hawkers cooking up meals.

However, not many would want to think about something as morbid as an HDB void deck funeral.

But Yip Yew Chong, arguably one of the most famous artists in Singapore, has dared to depict such a scene in the epic mural he’s currently working on.

He did this despite feeling that it was a “taboo scene”, but one that’s really common.

HDB void deck funeral a Singaporean way of life

In a Facebook post on Saturday (9 Jul), Mr Yip said he chose to draw a HDB void deck funeral as it’s “really common and part of our Singaporean way of life”.

He does it justice by putting in recognisable elements like flower wreaths, banners and people gambling at tables. There’s even a funeral hearse outside and mourners in black umbrellas.

But sure enough, the funeral is actually part of a larger piece showing what may be a typical day in a housing estate.

Besides the funeral, one can spot children playing at an old-fashioned sand pit playground and residents hanging their laundry outside their windows.

Amusingly, he also included a “summon auntie”, complete with hat, in the process of booking a car — something that would frustrate drivers but fill them with nostalgia too, considering nobody uses parking coupons any more.

Below that, you might notice a boy covering his nose as workers remove trash from a bin centre.

Mr Yip’s attention to detail is strong as ever, as netizens commented on the classic grills of the HDB windows and even a piece of underwear hanging on a black hanger.

Unusual for artists to draw funerals

Mr Yip also explained why he thought this panel held the “most taboo scene” of his mural.

He said it’s unusual for artists to draw funerals as people are unlikely to buy it.

However, he simply had to include it as it’s uniquely Singaporean, and something all citizens would’ve seen.

Void deck funerals are just not done in other countries — in fact, Mr Yip’s friend from Hong Kong questioned why Singaporeans have them. She felt they were “too close to homes and too scary”.

He pointed out, though, that void decks are used for other things besides funerals, like weddings, Tae Kwan Do classes and street soccer.

Artist planning 60m-long mural

The panel with the HDB void deck funeral is part of an ambitious 60m-long mural that shows Singapore in the 70s and 80s.

Mr Yip, 53, has been working on it since Aug 2021, and the latest panel is the 21st out of 27.

One of his previous panels portrayed an HDB town centre in the 80s, complete with an Oriental Emporium and single-screen cinema.

His 20th panel captured the exciting night vibe of Geylang in the mid-80s.

Mural shaping up to be a masterpiece

From the parts he’s kindly shared with the public, Mr Yip’s mural is shaping up to be a masterpiece indeed.

Like many Singaporeans, we’ll be excited to see the work in its entirely.

If you’d like to check out some of his murals, you can go to Temple Street in Chinatown or Block 683 Woodlands Avenue 62.

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Featured image adapted from Yip Yew Chong on Facebook.