Our Punggol Story

Name: Our Punggol Story — Mural Unveiling
Start: 2025-11-16
Location: Punggol Digital District

Shaping Hearts is Singapore’s largest inclusive arts festival by the North East Community Development Council, providing persons with disabilities a platform to showcase their talents and pursue their artistic passions. As an extension of the festival, the Shaping Hearts Placemaking Series transforms everyday spaces into inclusive art canvases, amplifying the voices of artists with disabilities, promoting accessibility, and deepening community understanding.

As part of this series, we are proud to present Our Punggol Story mural at Punggol Digital District. Commissioned in partnership with JTC, the mural reflects JTC’s commitment to advancing inclusive placemaking and community engagement alongside NECDC and Design Factory @ SIT.

Co-created with Shaping Hearts special needs artists Simeon Tan and Ezra Chan Yi, the mural was executed by TYC Studios and brought to life with contributions from key stakeholders of Punggol Digital District and the wider community including the Singapore Institute of Technology and Punggol residents. It traces Punggol’s journey from a riverside village, through kampungs, to Singapore’s first man-made waterway, reflecting the enduring spirit of community and nature.

This mural also fosters community co-creation through peopleofpdd.sg. This digital platform empowers the public to design avatars, blending their creations with the physical mural in a seamless online experience.

Marking SG60, the mural also celebrates our nation’s growth and resilience, mirrored in Punggol’s own evolution. Today, Punggol Digital District ushers in a new era of innovation while remaining rooted in the values of community.

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Featured Shaping Hearts Artists

Simeon Tan Rui En

Simeon Tan Rui En is a multidisciplinary artist with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), known for his vibrant, imaginative works across mediums. Clay offers him calm and balance, while his playful visual style brings joy to community art. A NAFA Visual Arts graduate with distinction, Simeon has exhibited with Pathlight, ART:DIS, and Shaping Hearts, and contributed his signature whimsical forms to the Punggol Digital District Placemaking Mural, celebrating nature and technology in harmony.

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Ezra Chan Yi

Ezra Chan Yi, an interdisciplinary artist with ASD, works across illustration, animation, and painting to explore memory and emotion. His distinctive use of color and narrative depth gives voice to personal and collective stories. A multi-award-winning NAFA graduate and international exhibitor, Ezra’s expressive motifs and layered imagery enriched the Punggol Digital District Mural, adding emotional resonance and visual dynamism to the collaborative artwork.

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Tell Your Children

Tell Your Children (TYC) is a Singapore-based creative collective known for punchy illustrations and bold murals across the island. Their graphic storytelling blends pop culture, local heritage, and contemporary design, bringing youthful energy to the Punggol Digital District mural while championing community-driven art.

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People of PDD

Create your own PDD avatar and bring it to life at the mural with AR!

To extend participation beyond the physical creation of the mural, DF@SIT developed a digital platform that invites the public to create their own avatars using shapes and textures consisting of Simeon and Ezra’s original works. This hybrid physical–digital approach transforms the mural into a living canvas that evolves with its community, fostering a sense of shared ownership and belonging within the Punggol Digital District.