Our Homescapes : Wall Mural Painting
Upon entering Helix House, residents are greeted by two vibrant new additions. Two wall murals, spearheaded by our leads Jasslyne Oh (Year 1, Anthropology) and Pearlyn Woo (Year 1, Industrial Design), and guided by Resident Fellow, Dr Mark Gan now adorn the walls of the foyer, injecting the space with a palpable sense of community and artistic ingenuity. The artworks are the result of a semester-long collaboration between our residents and residential fellows, with the two wall murals, “Helixscape” and “DNA that binds”, a testament to the creativity and the collaborative spirit of the Helix community.
Helixscape
The first mural, Helixscape, positioned at the entrance of the foyer, grabs one’s attention with its vivid portrayal of shared values and community spirit.
“The concept was inspired by the unique values embodied by Helix House residents. The mural echoes persistence, respect, happiness, optimism, thoughtfulness, authenticity, good nature, open-mindedness, and harmony. Each element in the mural, from the mountain peak to the intertwined Helix logo, is a symbolic representation of these values,” said Jasslyne, the architect of the mural.
The mural stands to symbolise the core values of Helix House. From top left to bottom right, the mountain with a flag symbolises Persistence; a firm handshake represents Respect; the sun with bright rays exudes Happiness and Optimism; a thoughtfully wrapped gift signifies Thoughtfulness; an unobstructed, close-up view of a face portrays Authenticity; a carefully held plant reflects Good Nature; an open mind illustrated with a heart and a lightbulb denotes Open-Mindedness; and finally, the interweaving ribbons of the Helix logo symbolize Harmony.
DNA that binds
The second wall mural, which is inspired by Helix House’s tagline “DNA that binds”, has wave-like features that are reminiscent of the strands of DNA. Adopting a typographic design, the striking and bold mural serves as a complement to the illustrative features of the first mural design.
Pearlyn, the architect of the second wall mural, found the experience very memorable. “As this was my first ever mural painting, I was unsure of where and how to start. However, my teammate, Jasslyne, was well-versed in mural painting, hence, she took the lead for the first mural. This allowed me to gain valuable experience on how mural painting works and I learned to avoid mistakes that we made previously.”
Indeed, the murals are not just an artistic endeavour. Although the leads designed the murals from scratch, they became canvases for collective creativity, with residents eagerly contributing their brushstrokes.
“The most memorable memory was when I was able to engage with different residents who came down to paint. It was a fun and engaging way to meet and bond with fellow residents staying in Helix House. It was a communal activity that brought residents together, allowing us to connect and contribute to something that would be a lasting part of our home here at Helix,” said Jasslyne.
Pearlyn shared similar sentiments with Jasslyne.
“It was very fun working closely with Jasslyne, Dr Mark and Vicel. We often filmed timelapses of us painting the wall and it is satisfying to see it come to life. Although it is sad to see this whole experience come to an end, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience! We are extremely grateful for all the support and help we got from fellow Helixians, especially those who participated in the painting and sketching of the mural.”
