Shophouse Appeal

FOR DALIAN-BORN ARTIST Zhu Hong who arrived in Singapore in 1997, painting offered a source of spiritual and mental support when he found himself alone and new in a foreign land.

Now a Singaporean, Zhu would spend his free time travelling around the island. He found the back streets of Geylang charming, he once said in an interview, even though most people don't take much notice of them.

Zhu graduated in architecture, and worked in various fields such as interior, architectural and event design before becoming a full-time artist in 2011. Perhaps because of his architectural background, Zhu is fascinated by shophouses, seen as veritable windows to Singapore's past.