Surrounded by calligraphy and painting in her childhood, later stepping onto the screen as an actress and delivering words as an announcer—
Art has always been a quiet companion in the life of Tsuyumi Miwa.
Japan, Italy, Australia, and now Singapore, where she is currently based.
Having lived among diverse cultures, she has once again picked up her brush as an artist. Through light and colour, she depicts scenes where personal memories intersect with the collective memories of Singapore, a land shaped by many cultures and ethnicities.
In this ongoing “Story of Art” series for Voyage, we turn our attention to her recent body of work, the “Singapore Cultural Series,” which honours the countless “everyday heroes” who sustain the city’s multicultural identity.
Let us trace her artistic journey and the thoughts woven into each of her works.
【Story of Art.8】100-Year-Old Nanyang Tea Shop with “Renowned Unknown Fragrance” Tea
“Tea is more than a drink; it is a story, a tradition, a bridge between generations, and a quiet moment of reflection in a fast-moving world.”
In a quiet corner of Singapore stands a small Chinese teahouse that has endured for more than a century. Its name is Pek Sin Choon, and within its walls a unique blend known as Nanyang tea is still crafted today in the same way it always has been.
Nanyang tea is made from oolong leaves grown in both the northern and southern regions of Fujian, China. Yet it is not simply a matter of mixing origins. Fresh leaves are carefully combined with aged ones that have rested for years, allowing both fragrance and depth to emerge in balance. This method was perfected by the founder, Pek Kim Aw, so that the flavor would remain steady no matter how the weather or harvest might change.
One of the shop’s most beloved teas is called Bu Zhi Xiang, which translates as “a fragrance without a name.” The moment it touches the lips, its meaning becomes clear. The aroma is impossible to define, yet strangely unforgettable. It is often enjoyed with peppery bak kut teh, where its quiet bitterness and lingering scent cleanse the richness of the soup.
At the back of the shop, my eyes were drawn to the hands of a single woman. Boh Tun is ninety years old and still works here every day. For decades she has stood in the same place, folding tea packets in silence. There is an authority in her movements that needs no explanation.
In this work, I chose to paint two women from this shop. Together they wrap thousands of tea bags by hand each day. Folding paper, filling it with leaves, tying it with string—each step is carried out almost exactly as it was a hundred years ago.
While I was painting, the scent of Bu Zhi Xiang drifted through the room without pause. That nameless fragrance felt like the shop’s own memory—unassuming, yet undeniably present, layered slowly over time.
Pek Sin Choon cannot be described by the word “heritage” alone. It is a place where the shape of work itself is preserved as daily life, passed quietly from one generation to the next. The skill of its craftsmen and the devotion behind it live on in every tea packet, every cup, and every brushstroke.
Next time, another everyday hero will appear. Beyond each line and color, a new story of Singapore’s many cultures awaits.
🌕 Next Chapter
This column, Story of Art, is updated on every full moon.
The next release is scheduled for February 2, 2026.
