These paintings are making us more excited than we should be
Global warming is real and scary. But local “concept artist and illustrator” Sean Lee Siu Lun published a photo album on his Facebook page yesterday with paintings depicting life in an alternate Singapore where sea levels have risen sky high and somehow, it actually looks pretty fun to live in.
Titled “Singapore 2030”, the photo album has 8 paintings in total, and covers Singapore’s iconic elements like HDB flats, MRT stations, and even a market!
And while he deserves mad props for his amazing art skills, here’s a nod of appreciation to his photo descriptions as well, which are full of tongue-in-cheek quips and references.
Here are the masterpieces:
Source: Sean Lee Siu Lun
Location: Bukit Panjang
Backstory: Apparently, private businessmen supply water and power to apartments that remain above the sea level. Kelongs were built along the HDB buildings, creating a very vibrant community that might be well-known for seafood barbecues.
Source: Sean Lee Siu Lun
Location: Orchard Gateway, Somerset
Backstory: Wealthy landowners found a way to keep their private properties from becoming like Atlantis – they created biodome living spaces underwater. Resorts World Singapore’s S.E.A Aquarium probably closed down from the lack of business.
Source: Sean Lee Siu Lun
Location: All public buses
Backstory: Public transport or the Magic School Bus? There is no difference in this alternate universe, and the jellyfish breeding season is supposedly a great way to past time when you’re onboard with no public Wi-Fi to tap on.
Source: Sean Lee Siu Lun
Location: Bukit Panjang
Backstory: Besides our kelong HDBs, we have new “undersea HDB” buildings as well, which thankfully can still be paid using our CPF!
Source: Sean Lee Siu Lun
Location: Bukit Panjang
Backstory: Gone are the chasing of sunrises and sunsets – we now chase after high tides, when the seawater from outside our dams spill over into the canals that run through our city. They make for highly-instagrammable photos!
Source: Sean Lee Siu Lun
Location: City Hall
Backstory: As brilliant as this alternate Singapore is, we’re still far from perfect and we still have train delays – thanks to the seasonal dugong migration.
Source: Sean Lee Siu Lun
Location: City Hall
Backstory: Shopping malls and hipster markets are now less boring for the uninterested husband because you can always watch the fishes and occasional shark swim around!
Source: Sean Lee Siu Lun
Location: Bangkit Market
Backstory: Wet markets and pasar malam still exist in that universe, but are way cooler.
Check out the before and after pictures here on the photo album and more of Sean’s work here!