As part of the Peace of Art's (POA) Ocean of Hope initiative, children from families struggling economically in the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) Young Hearts programme, collaborated with volunteers from Methodist Girls School to design intricate art pieces. These art pieces champion sustainability while fundraising for children living in rental flats.
One of the art pieces was the 'Whispers of the Deep', a forsaken sculpture partially ravaged after a resort's under-the-sea exhibition in the Maldives hit a roadblock as corals could not grow amid escalating water temperatures.
When POA Founder, Mrs Eunice Yeo, stumbled upon the artefact in 2019, it was shrouded in graffiti and paint. Yet Mrs Yeo perceived it as an opportunity to give it a new lease on life. Leveraging waste materials such as discarded glass, scrap wood and old toys, Mrs Yeo transformed it into a beautiful sculpture that captivated attention while conveying the message of resilience. When the sculpture was first exhibited at The Centrepoint, it struck a chord with Adex, the organiser of the dive show.
Adex sponsored POA with a booth at the Adex Ocean Festival at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre from 12 April to 14 April.
POA collaborated with Fraction, which reuses and redesigns discarded materials and structures for exhibits.
The art pieces, meticulously handcrafted at the Adex Ocean Festival, will be auctioned at the Sustainable Kids Market, at Marina Square on 25 and 26 May. All the auction proceeds will be channelled towards supporting underprivileged children and youth of the SRC's Young Hearts programme. The Sustainable Kids Market strives to raise $100,000 for this cause.
The artwork bears a semblance to corals, which are vibrant, and resilient, but vulnerable.
Akin to corals, Mrs Yeo perceives that less privileged children can transform into healthy, joyful and well-rounded individuals who can positively contribute to society if we level the playing field with their peers while giving them the opportunities to advance in life.