The Dragon of Amoy Alley

A large dragon with intricate tiled patterns snakes along the façade of a shophouse as the welcome to Amoy Alley. The Peranakan tile-styled dragon is accompanied by small fish and is a nod to the area's cultural heritage. It stands behind a small park, and was produced by The Artling as a commission for 8M Real Estate Singapore.

The Amoy St and Telok Ayer areas are the epitome of Singapore's cultural diversity, with historical institutions blending in with modern life. The Artling worked with a Singapore artist who compiled and collaged the patterns found on the tiles of Thian Hock Keng temple and Nagore Durgha shrine to create the 'scales' of the dragon. The traditional tiles were used as a base design to develop on, to create a visually arresting pattern that is more contemporary in style. The large dragon head is another nod towards the rooftop and door embellishments of the Thian Hock Keng temple. The artist also incorporated fish that appear to swim across the wall, inspired by the Chinese 'fish lanterns' from the statues in Telok Ayer Green Park. In this way, the mural will both reflect and build upon the surrounding area's cultural heritage.