SINGAPORE – Shifu Food Court in Bras Basah Complex has apologised and taken down murals plagiarised from well-known local illustrator Lee Xin Li.
The food court, which had been closed for a month-long renovation and reopened on Sept 30, unveiled its revamped facilities in an Instagram post on Sept 21, highlighting new murals it had installed.
The murals featured local hawker scenes against the backdrop of Singapore’s skyline. One also pictured a family of otters scurrying near several men who appeared to be clad in Formula 1 uniforms, bearing an uncanny resemblance to an illustration by Mr Lee commissioned by Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix in 2020.
The food court boasts 14 stalls and can seat a total of 430 people.
Mr Lee, who is currently overseas, took to Facebook on Oct 1 to point out the copied artwork, saying that his artwork “was used without financial remuneration, permission or communications”.
“To further add insult, the generative AI tech was used to create some mangled mess to my artwork,” he said, referring to a portion of one mural that distorted the faces of the people in the original illustration.
The homegrown artist, who is renowned for drawing inspiration from the Singapore environment he grew up in, said Bras Basah Complex is a place of sentimental value to him, full of fond memories from his schooling days.
Speaking to The Straits Times on Oct 2, Mr Lee said his original artwork was a digital 360 degree illustration meant to be viewed on mobile devices and presented in digital media. It took about three months to complete.
He said he found out about the copied murals through a friend who sent him photos of the newly renovated food court. The artist verified the news through the social media accounts of Bras Basah Complex and Shifu Food Court.
The initial post by Shifu Food Court had credited the murals as the work of students from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa), though it later clarified that this referred only to a mural painted on the outside of the food court.