The Sungei Road Thieves’ Market will close for good on July 10 this year, and much has been said about the iconic, decades-old market shuttering to make way for future residential projects. But if you’ve actually never stepped foot in Singapore’s oldest and largest flea market, you’ve still got about two weeks to experience a slice of history before it’s gone forever.
Amidst all the regulars hawking their wares at the weekend flea is 20-year-old Brendan Mayle Kor, an artist and full-time national serviceman fascinated by the stories behind the faces of each stall owner. He’s spent Saturday afternoons over the last couple of months carefully painting intricate portraits of elderly vendors, working with acrylics and canvas, all in the name of documenting the people behind the market for memory’s sake.
So far, he’s got three completed portraits and has one more in the works.
After he constructs his makeshift tent and gets to work, Kor often receives a crowd of intrigued onlookers who occasionally make offers to buy his work or request for their portraits to be done. But his paintings are not for sale, although he has plans to submit two of his pieces to the 36th UOB Painting of the Year competition.
Speaking to TODAY, Kor recalls when he strolled through the market with his mother back in the day, speaking to many of the vendors. It’s this nostalgia that brings him back to the place, where he chats up the hawkers to find out more about their lives.
Check out his work below.
If you’re keen for more documentation of the Thieves’ Market by Kor (and a fellow collaborator), follow their works on Instagram.
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