There’s a new Facebook page called Singapore Area Gijinka appearing on our newsfeed, and the drawings on it are simply out of this world.
The artist of the page, who goes by the name of Dixie Koty, has been actively drawing a bunch of delightful artworks of our local neighbourhood and schools. She adds a new twist to them by imagining them as people and gives each character a personality profile of wacky traits.
Haw Par Villa
Take Haw Par Villa, for instance.
A Singapore theme park that depicts frightening scenes from Chinese folklore is re-imagined as a guy who has an appreciation for people watching — more so specifically, the youngsters. This is a rather interesting sentiment considering Haw Par Villa tends to scare the heck out of children me.
Pulau Tekong
Even though there were a lot of talks about Pulau Tekong being haunted, the island is still extensively used as a training base for the Singapore army. The hobby and absence of the character’s personality traits give off a spooky vibe. Dixie Koty, a disturbing mind you have there.
Old Changi Hospital
And speaking of spooky, you certainly can’t forget the Old Changi Hospital. It was reportedly used as a torture room during the Japanese Occupation, a dark time in Singapore that traumatised us for life. The last bit about the character is clearly poking fun at paranormal investigators.
Republic Polytechnic
Republic Polytechnic (RP) has a relatively large sports-related diploma courses. Clearly, this is a reference to the physical recreation department. Though I’m drawing a blank regarding the naive personality. RP students and graduates, are you able to relate to this?
Nanyang Polytechnic
Unlike RP, Nanyang Polytechnic is known for its design and nursing diploma courses. The School of Health Sciences was built in 1992, while the School of Design was launched in 2000. And here’s something we didn’t think of before — the campus does indeed look like a hospital!
Temasek Polytechnic
This character could easily pass off as Takeyama‘s brother.
Singapore Polytechnic
Apparently, Singapore Polytechnic students are CCA fanatics and the school is insanely large.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic
Could this be true? If you’re a Ngee Ann Polytechnic student or graduate, what’s your take on anime? Are you a fan of the light novel series, Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions?
City Hall
There are two things about City Hall that I know to be true: a) it’s one of the busiest train stations in Singapore, and b) it has the largest train disruptions.
Orchard
Orchard is a shopping paradise for both Singaporeans and tourists. This rich tai tai character looks like she prefers brick and mortar to online stores, and often snaps up branded goods up in a matter of minutes.
Somerset
I saved the best (and coolest) for last. If you frequently hang out at the Somerset Skate Park, chances are, you’ve seen the street art and graffiti. Not only do they smarten up the dull walls, but they also prove one important thing about our country — that Singapore is not an unexciting city.
Perhaps, Singapore Area Gijinka is a temporary project. Perhaps, it’s a one-time thing. But whatever it is, I hope that Dixie Koty knows that her portrayal of a real-life observation has allowed us to see our home country in a different perspective.
Featured image credit: Singapore Area Gijinka
