Rippling the Roots with Ripple Root’s Estella Ng and Liquan Liew

Growing up in Singapore, I’ve always walked past by museums, shopping malls and local landmarks of statues that highlight the history of the country. Frankly, I didn’t really think that the +65 would have anything to offer apart from touristy souvenirs and postcard-friendly landscapes until I stumbled upon large colorful murals at Keong Saik Road two summers ago during a photoshoot with Audrey Kwok.

Filled with every shade of the rainbow, these murals lit a spark inside my body. While I was trying to search for the artist’s name, “RIPPLE ROOT” was written in big, yet thin bold capital letters. From there, it woke up a newfound hobby to find local artists around the island.

Flash forward to August 8th, 2019, I finally met the team behind Ripple Root – Estella Ng and Liquan Liew – at the opening of their new exhibit “Raffles, Pineapples and the Swamp” at Hilton Hotel’s Yang Gallery. In collaboration with Club 21, Liew and Ng displayed their artwork alongside designer togs to paint a visual story of the evolution of Singapore from a Third World kampong to a First World nation.

We catch up over e-mail to talk about what motivates them to make these iconic murals, the concept behind their newest exhibit, being inspired by Singapore’s history and having creative freedom in the +65.