Trishaw Rider - The Trishaw Rider Playing the Nose Flute

The trishaw rider occupies about two-thirds of the lower half of the painting. From the top of the tactile painting, triangle patterns represent his yellow narrow-brimmed sun hat. Moving down, you can feel the rider's relaxed facial expression, with a flute positioned at his nose and possibly a cigarette sticking out of his mouth.

Continuing downwards, a series of diagonal lines depict his hands holding the flute. Sweeping left and right from his hands, you can feel his dark, broad shoulders, white cotton tank top and bent arms. His posture is relaxed, with his elbows resting gently on the sides of his thighs. Below his right elbow, the matte texture represents his dark shorts. Made of thin cotton, his outfit is cheap and easy to move in. Most importantly, it can absorb sweat and dry easily, a must for Singapore’s hot weather.

Moving to the right, hollow thick lines outline his relaxed, slightly bent and muscular legs. The irregular oval shapes are his broad bare feet propped up on the frame depicted in the previous layer.

After hours of exhausting labour, he is enjoying a much-needed moment of respite by playing a tune. The nose flute, often made of bamboo, is a musical instrument that is usually associated with Southeast Asian cultures. Similar instruments have been found in the Philippines and Malaysia, suggesting that the Singapore of old was a melting pot where many different cultures co-existed. Why not ask the elders in your family if they also had moments of respite like this while they were still working? How did they spend their leisure time back then?