SINGAPORE – Walk past a moon gate and spot a white horse, the God of Wealth Cai Shen Ye, and a Chinese pavilion among the Chinese New Year decorations adorning the void deck of Block 8 Cantonment Close.
Created from recycled materials, the decorations are a labour of love by resident Anitha Tamilmaran, 50, who spent two months conceptualising and putting them together with a little help from her husband.
“Because the void deck has very high ceilings and many openings, there are no continuous walls or lines. So I used beams and frames to visually enclose the space and make it feel like one cohesive festive area,” said Mrs Tamilmaran.
She also received help from residents and nearby shops, which contributed recycled materials, while a few seniors assisted with simple tasks such as cutting.
Mrs Tamilmaran, an interior design graduate, said the most difficult element was the Grand Auspicious Horse or Hong Rui Ma, which required significant time, effort and attention to detail. She reworked its facial features twice to make sure it was aesthetically pleasing.
Recycled materials like spray cans and used packaging used to create parts of the Moon Gate.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
The mother of two boys aged aged 25 and 23 considers Hong Rui Ma to be her ‘third child’.
Pictures placed on the wall to show what went into creating the Grand Auspicious Horse or Hong Rui Ma.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
She said: “The residents keep telling me he’s so handsome and muscular that Cantonment has fed him well to be so strong. I saw a resident rushing to bring her family member down to the void deck and crying out: ‘Look, a horse!’’
“The residents’ confidence in me gave me the extra push to bring it so much life,” she said.
Mrs Tamilmaran kissing the Grand Auspicious Horse or Hong Rui Ma.
PHOTO: ANITHA TAMILMARAN
Mrs Tamilmaran, who is currently not employed, has always been passionate about art, sustainability and thinking out of the box. She has created decorations for Deepavali at Cantonment Primary School.
She also created a 6×9 ft mosaic SG flag with 260 tiles in the void deck, for SG60 last year.
Mrs Tamilmaran with her first community decoration – a 6ft by 9 ft mosaic SG flag made with 260 tiles made to celebrate SG60 last year.
PHOTO: ANITHA TAMILMARAN
After receiving a positive response, she was asked to create decorations with recycled materials for Christmas and Deepavali, and has been making festive decorations ever since.
The Christmas decorations are still up at Cantonment Close for residents to admire.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Mrs Tamilmaran is now working on decorations for the upcoming Hari Raya Puasa celebrations in March.
She usually takes two months to research the festival, source recycled materials and then put everything together.
She begins around 7.30am and ends at 11pm, with work sometimes extending into the weekends.
Working in a public area, she has to deal with wind and rain, and ensure the decorations stay in place. She sometimes returns at night to check on them. Very rarely has anyone messed with her work, and then it is usually a curious young child.
She also received funding support for her Chinese New Year and current projects from the HDB Lively Places Fund and Challenge, a fund that encourages residents to initiate community-driven place-making projects that will help develop more vibrant and bonded communities.
Mrs Tamilmaran bought her flat at Cantonment Towers in 2005 but has largely lived abroad as her husband’s work took them to different countries. Her family returned to live here in 2020 when her son went into national service.
The Deepavali decorations at Cantonment Close that are still up for people to admire.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Her work has been warmly welcomed by residents, who said the displays have brought them joy. They sometimes show their appreciation by bringing her snacks and drinks while she works.
A Peacock for Deepavali that is still up at Cantonment Close.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
She said: “I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to make (the residents) happy and bring a smile to their faces.”
“I hope people realise that festive decorations can be created even with the simplest materials at home. It is also a reminder to reuse, recycle and care for the earth for future generations.”