Traces in The Air - Old North Bridge Road

By Ng Siang Hoi, Friends of The Disabled Society

Ng Siang Hoi recalls Old North Bridge Road not by sound, but by scent. In the stillness of morning, the air was thick with soy milk and fried dough, hawkers moving like clockwork as steam rose from their stalls. His mother chooses vegetables with practiced ease, and the stall owners understood without words. By midday, roasted chestnuts, sunbaked pavement, and the musk of resting trishaw riders filled the air. Newspapers were stacked high on wooden crates, while shopfronts overflowed with fabrics and jars of preserved fruit. At night, the scent of rain on hot asphalt rose as the outdoor screen came alive. The artist never needed sound — only faces, gestures, and light. The street has changed, and the past still lingers in the air.

About

For over six decades, Siang Hoi has transformed silence into visual poetry through his distinctive mixed media artworks. Since learning from a Deaf art teacher at 14, he discovered in painting, its not just a passion, but a profound way to communicate with the world. Now at 75, he continues his artistic practice with the same quiet determination that has defined his journey. Working in a unique blend of watercolour, acrylic, and ink, he breathes life into nostalgic scenes of Singapore's past — from bustling marketplaces to riverside villages.

SKU: FDS-008

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas

Dimensions (WxH): 31cm x 41cm