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.
【Story of Art.5】Mala Flower Seller – The Fragrance of Devotion
“Flowers speak a silent language of devotion, love, and reverence. Every petal woven into a garland has a prayer, a blessing, and a connection to something greater than ourselves.”
In the Singapore Cultural Series, “Mala Flower Seller – The Fragrance of Devotion,” explores the deep symbolism of flowers within Indian culture.
The word “mala” refers to a hand-threaded garland — each flower carefully joined by string, one by one. In Indian tradition, mala flowers are far more than decoration. Offered to deities in Hindu temples and used in daily prayers and festivals at home, these fragrant garlands of jasmine, marigold, and roses embody devotion, purity, and love—expressions of surrender to the divine.
The Living Craft of Little India
In Singapore’s Little India, this sacred craft still thrives. Along the narrow lanes filled with the scent of flowers, artisans continue to create malas as they have for generations.
The woman depicted in Tsuyumi Miwa’s painting, Ponna, has been weaving floral garlands in Little India for more than thirty years. Before dawn, she visits the market to choose the freshest, most fragrant blossoms. With quiet focus, she threads each petal by hand—her gestures slow, deliberate, almost meditative.
Each garland is unique, infused with the colors of the season, the rhythm of faith, and traces of the maker’s own life. Through Miwa’s brushstrokes, we can almost sense the fragrance rising from Ponna’s fingertips, as light and shadow reveal a portrait of tradition—alive, breathing, and ever-evolving.
When Flowers Fade, the Fragrance of Prayer Remains
Many mala flower sellers still line the streets of Little India, though their craft faces gradual decline as artificial garlands become more common. Yet, their work endures. People continue to pray with fresh flowers—to feel the divine through scent and touch, to honor beauty in impermanence.
As Miwa reflects, “Flowers may fade, but the fragrance of prayer remains.”
In that delicate balance between transience and eternity, her art captures a quiet truth—the continuity of culture carried by hands, by memory, by faith.
The fragrance of mala flowers still drifts through the streets of Little India today, wrapping softly around someone’s prayer, unseen yet deeply felt.
This artwork is currently on display at the Indian Heritage Centre in Singapore until October 19.
You can also find more information on the official Instagram of the Indian Heritage Centre.
Through the Singapore Cultural Series, Tsuyumi Miwa invites us to witness these living memories—moments where artistry, faith, and humanity intertwine.
🌕 Next Chapter
This column, Story of Art, is updated on every full moon.
The next story will be published on November 5, 2025 (Wednesday)—featuring another unsung hero whose everyday life illuminates the cultural soul of Singapore.
