The Big Heart Design-A-Shoe Competition by Mediacorp

Am back so soon after my recent entry, something that I am quite unaccustomed to in my soon-to-be fourteenth year of entertainment blogging. I was recently approached by a Mediacorp representative to help promote the following charity initiative. For the uninitiated, The Big Heart Design-A-Shoe competition is part of the SG Care national movement to promote volunteerism and civic culture. It was launched back in November 2016 by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY). Mediacorp being a strong partner for the cause, roped in seventeen artistes and personalities from different backgrounds to design their very own pair of shoes, sponsored by international brand Timberland, which are currently up for bidding. All proceeds from the bidding of the shoes will go to the Community Chest and are now currently on display at Raffles City Atrium from 15th-28th January 2018.

Amongst those from our very own Malay community, we have RIA 89.7FM deejays KC and Dzar Ismail, singer Aisyah Aziz and also Natasha Faisal from 987FM. In-depth details of their respective designs as well as the different thought processes that they put into them are shared via the following link (please click on the link). I was initially asked to help promote specifically KC, Dzar and Aisyah, but I felt it won’t do me much harm helping Natasha as well, as personally my family regards her like a little sister already. Even before I was approached to help promote their designs, I had heard how some of them had painstakingly stayed up all night to do them. In the case of KC, he had to make changes to his originally planned design, as the paint dried up too quickly before he could even add on additional touches to it.

Kindness; This year’s theme brings back memories as we walk along kindergartens and childcare schools where the mural walls are filled with colours and the love of nature. It brings out a certain feel of innocence & positivity towards people & our surroundings. It explains the variety of colours that our children today love. Educating our children to be kind from a very young age is essential. The technique I chose was pop art and abstract art to indicate flow, flexibility & fun! Being kind can be fun too especially if it involves kids and nature!

6 different colours were used for this design, to represent people from different communities, here in Singapore. They were blended in using my fingers. It would have been easier to use the brush, but the technique was done with purpose, to signify physical acts of kindness that help mold a harmonious society. Working with acrylic paint was a real challenge on an organic canvas, the paint dries fast, leaving little to blend in, signifying the tremendous amount of work that was done to foster a sense of community spirit, kindness, and hence, we should never take what we have for granted.

Life is like doodle art. There is always space and room for LOVE and CARE.

Caring means to express interest and provide what is essential and necessary for the good of a person or a subject in concern. The different colours used in the painting signifies diversity in which the care we put out to this world shouldn’t be exclusive. The earliest memory I have of witnessing the act of caring is by my grandmother who has an abundance of love and care for cats all around. Back then, my grandmother lived humbly having just enough to live by the day. It was that morning when I accompanied her to get groceries from the market that we met with a cat who looked motionless with blood gushing from a wound around its neck. Since bringing it to the vet isn’t an option as the bills might be too hefty, my grandmother took the cat home and nursed it with whatever she had until it was healthy and running again. Her passion towards cats rubbed off on me and I now live with 2 of my own at home. This explains the two I’ve painted on the left side of the shoe – one is extra active and the other is always sleeping. My cats express care in their own unique ways and whenever I’m feeling down, I’d head home to spend time with them. The simple act of petting cats can reduce stress – by the way, this is can be proven by science – I promise!

Looking at all their designs, I didn’t expect all four of them to really have that inner artistic talent in them. I personally do not have any personal favourites amongst them as each had their own reasonings behind their respective designs. You should definitely see what they had come up with and if you like and would like to own these shoes, just do your part in bidding for them for a good cause!!! Details are provided in the link provided and bidding for each shoe starts at S$299!!!