Art has always walked alongside the life of Tsuyumi Miwa—from her early years immersed in calligraphy and painting, to her time gracing the screen as an actress and delivering words as a broadcaster. Today, she continues this lifelong dialogue with creativity through her work as a visual artist.
Having lived in Japan, Italy, Australia, and now Singapore—her current base—Tsuyumi’s experiences across cultures have shaped a distinct artistic lens. With brush in hand once again, she explores the intersection of personal memory and the collective memory of Singapore, a land where diverse ethnicities and cultures coexist in vibrant harmony.
In this new column series, Story of Art, we begin by diving into Tsuyumi Miwa’s recent body of work, the Singapore Cultural Series. This ongoing series shines a spotlight on the unsung everyday heroes who form the backbone of Singapore’s multicultural society.
Let us begin by unraveling the story behind the painting that initiated this journey.
3. 纸扎 Joss Paper Dealer – Crafting Offerings for the Afterlife
“To honour the departed is to keep their presence alive—not in the past, but in the present. Tradition and remembrance rise together in the glow of burning joss paper, carrying love beyond the veil of time.”
In Chinese ancestral worship, 纸扎：Joss Paper – also called ghost money – plays an essential role. Made from paper, bamboo, and colored sheets, miniature houses, cars, and daily necessities are carefully constructed and then burned. Through smoke and flame, these offerings are believed to reach loved ones in the afterlife, ensuring they want for nothing.
Though times have changed, this tradition still lives in the hearts of many. But artisans who make Joss Paper entirely by hand are now rare, even in Chinatown.
A Craft Passed Down Three Generations
Tan Ah Hock began learning the craft at the age of nine, watching his father and grandfather at work. Now seventy, he continues to pour memory and meaning into fragile sheets of paper, shaping them into offerings that bridge worlds.
Today, as the owner of Sin Hoe Hin Joss Paper Dealer, he has begun passing on the work to his son, Vincent, hoping the family tradition will live on.
The Artisan, As He Is
When I visited his workshop, Ah Hock was bare-chested, a pain-relief patch clinging to his left arm. As he reached for his shirt, I asked him to stay just as he was. I wanted to capture the truth of that moment – unguarded, absorbed in his craft.
On the wall behind him hung a framed portrait of his late mother. In my painting, I placed her image closer to him, as though she were watching over and protecting him.
A House That Turns to Ash
That day, he was building an 8ft tall, 14ft wide paper house that would turn to ash within hours. Every fold, every brushstroke, an act of love and memory, fleeting in the physical world but lasting in the spiritual one. These stories of craftsmanship and devotion continue—one offering, one flame, one memory at a time.
I realized then: people often pour their deepest prayers into things that are never meant to last.
One Offering, One Flame, One Memory
Ah Hock’s work continues – one offering at a time, one flame at a time, one memory at a time. Each piece carries the warmth of human touch, connecting past and present, and quietly lighting the path forward.
Art is not only found in what remains, but also in what disappears. And sometimes, it is in the fleeting that we find the most enduring truths.
🌕 About this Series
Story of Art will be updated every full moon.
Stay tuned for the next installment on Monday, September 8, 2025.
