Teo Zi Hui

Theme: Everyday Things

Distinction, School Category, 2022

Artist statement:

This is an artwork of a pink-haired girl who received a heart transplant from a little girl who lost her life. Her heart to the pink-haired girl is considered a brand-new functioning “city” which brings her life and hence it is coloured in a more bright and cheerful tone signifying the new life given to her. To display her appreciation for the donor, she wears the organ donor’s favourite white dress which to the organ donor is considered as her favorite everyday nightgown. Wearing her nightgown symbolises the great deed she has done for the pink-haired girl by providing her a new life with new opportunities and new relationships to be formed. And through this experience, the pink-haired girl realises that the organ donor and her both use similar everyday items hence signifying the connection between them.

While I was working on this artwork, it reminded me that our heart itself works like a city. It is like the central part of singapore, like Bishan, or Toa payoh where it is usually the most crowded and busiest part of the city where daily activities and daily transactions would take place. To me, it reminds me of the MRT circle line. Hence, I added mrt tracks around the the drawing to signify how the heart performs an important transportation role in the body. Also, since the MRT also transports everyone to their destinations, I believe that it is considered as a everyday item as it is a daily necessity for many individuals. The pink-haired girl also realises that she and the organ donor both use the public transport MRT to travel around as a daily everyday item.

I also added HDB buildings at the middle of the heart as I believe it is also a central part of a city. I believe that HDB flats represent a cozy and sweet home to most Singaporeans. I added blue which gives the HDB flats a more calming effect and yellow for a warm and more cheerful feel. I added tiny red blood cells at the bottom of the HDB flats to signify the people living in there. Thus, I believe that HDB flats play an essential part in our lives providing shelter, warmth and comfort to us and hence they are considered as an everyday item. The pink-haired girl discovers that both she and the organ donor lived in HDB flats, bringing more connection to what they use in their everyday lives.

The juniper bonsai tree at the top left corner near the neck of the person signifies the long life she has been given by their donor and it also signifies the protection given by the donor protecting her for her whole live suggesting that they are forever connected through this “city”, the heart.

I also added gears and clocks to signify that with this new city, the girl receiving it can now spend her time enjoying brand new opportunities. The gears and clock also signify that time is a precious everyday item. Without time, we won’t be able to enjoy the special moments in life. The ribbons signify binding all the items together and how they all play a part in one’s life and the importance of it. Pink plays a major role in this artwork as to me, it is a sign of hope and peace for the receiver and the organ donor. Donating their organ has given the person a new lease of life.

This artwork to me is the pink-haired girl and the organ donor finding connection through their everyday items and how they will forever be connected as a symbol of hope.

About the Artist

Teo Zi Hui, 15
Presbyterian High School