Raymond Ng Yeow Hua

Maker of gods

• Raymond hand makes Taoist and Buddhist wooden effigies
• His business has been in the family since 1896
• His pieces narrate ancient Chinese religious beliefs, legends and philosophies

Raymond Ng Yeow Hua is from a family that has been making Taoist and Budhist effigies by hand for over 100 years. The hand-carved painted statues of various gods that Taoists and Budhists worship demonstrate extraordinary levels of detail and skill. The painstaking art of effigy-making starts with a wood block which is first handcarved into the likeness of a certain deity. The sculpture is then hand-painted and emblazoned with different symbolic motifs. The whole process takes about a month to complete. Raymond uses a family secret handed down over generations for the material he uses to decorate his statues. Unfortunately, due to cheaper mass production and a sharp decrease in manpower, it is a vanishing trade. Raymond, with his family, are believed to be the last shop of their kind keeping the craft alive in Singapore. To reinvent the business and expand it to a secular, international audience, his children have started involving designers and theatre practitioners. His eldest son, aged 42, also started apprenticing in the shop in 2021.

Interview

Nicky Loh ©Michelangelo Foundation

©Johanna El Iman

When did you decide to pick up the craft?

My parents asked me to help in the business. I had just got married and we were expecting our first child. I thought it was something I could try to help out my family. I started by observing how my parents worked. I took notes but mostly it is a craft you learn over time, by doing.

In what way is your craft linked to your territory?

Singapore is a migrant society, predominantly from China. When they arrived from China, ready to start a new life, these effigies anchored them to their roots. Even if you lived in a small house, you would try to find space for an effigy. They are a reminder of who they were, where they came from and what they live for.

How would you define what you do?

We are one of Singapore’s oldest heritage business, we always try to reinvent ourselves by expanding our products and services to secular audiences who see our effigies as works of art instead of objects of worship. We must also cherish our traditional customers, the temples and devotees.

What don't people normally know about your work?

A lot of the tools and materials used in this craft are recycled – juice bottles and jam jars – or everyday cheap materials. Frugal innovation is an important characteristic of artisanal craft, and reflects the values of our earlier generation. This is not a museum. It is the place we work. So there is no importance attached to making the workspace look nice on social media, this messiness is what makes it authentic!

Raymond Ng Yeow Hua is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1982

Works

Nicky Loh ©Michelangelo Foundation

Nicky Loh ©Michelangelo Foundation

Nicky Loh ©Michelangelo Foundation

Where