{"id":9081,"date":"2014-06-20T15:52:08","date_gmt":"2014-06-20T07:52:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/?p=9081"},"modified":"2014-06-20T17:49:41","modified_gmt":"2014-06-20T09:49:41","slug":"moving-house-the-painting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/2014\/moving-house-the-painting\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Moving House&#8221; &#8211; The Painting"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">&#8220;Moving House&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>The Story behind the Painting<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0by Alvin Ong<\/p>\n<p>The story of 3 affected graves at Bukit Brown not too long ago inspired a revival of family interest; Tan Yong Chuan (Blk 4, Div C), Tan Tiam Tee (Blk 3, Div B), Wee Geok Eng Neo (Blk 4, Div 6) were exhumed in May 2014. Old photos were unearthed from family albums, and heirloom objects from another era suddenly came to light. For the first time in decades, stories and narratives unlocked themselves from these objects and brought new layers of meaning to the notions of home and identity.<\/p>\n<p>Tan Tiam Tee was the son of the magnate Tan Hoon Chiang (buried in Bukit China, Malacca), one of the founders of the Straits Steamship Co. His wife, Wee Geok Eng Neo, and his son, Tan Yong Chuan were all affected by the proposed highway.<\/p>\n<p><em>(click on images for a bigger view)<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9082\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9082\" class=\"wp-image-9082 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-1-300x237.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 1\" width=\"300\" height=\"237\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-1-300x237.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-1-280x221.jpg 280w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-1.jpg 713w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9082\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Funeral of Wee Geok Eng Neo, nee Mrs Tan Tiam Tee. Upper Thompson Rd, 1926. (photo courtesy of Alvin Ong)<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_9109\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-2a-.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9109\" class=\"wp-image-9109 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-2a--300x249.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 2a\" width=\"300\" height=\"249\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-2a--300x249.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-2a--280x232.jpg 280w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-2a-.jpg 561w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9109\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Funeral of Tan Tiam Tee, 1930. (photo courtesy of Alvin Ong)<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_9092\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9092\" class=\"wp-image-9092 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-2-300x246.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 2\" width=\"300\" height=\"246\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-2-300x246.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-2-280x229.jpg 280w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-2.jpg 558w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9092\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Funeral of Tan Yong Chuan, died age 29, 26 November 1937, Neil Road (photo courtesy of Alvin Ong)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Funeral of Tan Yong Chuan, died age 29, 26 November 1937, Neil Road. (photo courtesy of Alvin Ong)<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9094\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-4-jpg.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9094\" class=\"wp-image-9094 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-4-jpg-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 4 jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-4-jpg-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-4-jpg-280x186.jpg 280w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-4-jpg.jpg 590w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9094\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Descendants at the tomb of Tan Tiam Tee, holding his portrait during Cheng Beng -tomb sweeping festival, 2012 (photo courtesy of Alvin Ong)<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_9095\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-5-jpg.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9095\" class=\"wp-image-9095 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-5-jpg-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 5  jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-5-jpg-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-5-jpg-280x185.jpg 280w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-5-jpg.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9095\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Descendants at the tomb of Tan Yong Chuan, Cheng Beng-tombsweeping festival , 2012 (photo courtesy of Alvin Ong<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_9096\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-6-jpg.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9096\" class=\"wp-image-9096 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-6-jpg-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 6  jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-6-jpg-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-6-jpg-240x320.jpg 240w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-6-jpg.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9096\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pictures from the exhumation of Wee Geok Eng Neo, May 2014 (photo courtesy of Alvin Ong)<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_9097\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-7-r-jpg.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9097\" class=\"wp-image-9097 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-7-r-jpg-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 7 r  jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-7-r-jpg-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-7-r-jpg-240x320.jpg 240w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-7-r-jpg.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9097\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pictures from the exhumation of Wee Geok Eng Neo, May 2014 (photo courtesy of Alvin Ong)<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_9098\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-8-r-jpg.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9098\" class=\"wp-image-9098 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-8-r-jpg-300x224.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 8 r  jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-8-r-jpg-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-8-r-jpg-280x209.jpg 280w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-8-r-jpg.jpg 755w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9098\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pictures from the exhumation of Wee Geok Eng Neo, May 2014 (photo courtesy of Alvin Ong)<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_9099\" style=\"width: 234px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-9-jpg.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9099\" class=\"wp-image-9099 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-9-jpg-224x300.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 9  jpg\" width=\"224\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-9-jpg-224x300.jpg 224w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-9-jpg-239x320.jpg 239w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-9-jpg.jpg 407w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 224px) 100vw, 224px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9099\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pictures from the exhumation of Wee Geok Eng Neo, May 2014 (photo courtesy of Alvin Ong)<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_9100\" style=\"width: 274px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-10-r-jpg.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9100\" class=\"wp-image-9100 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-10-r-jpg-264x300.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 10 r  jpg\" width=\"264\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-10-r-jpg-264x300.jpg 264w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-10-r-jpg-280x317.jpg 280w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-10-r-jpg.jpg 476w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 264px) 100vw, 264px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9100\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pictures from the exhumation of Wee Geok Eng Neo, May 2014 (photo courtesy of Alvin Ong)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Miniature cooking pots were interred in Mrs Tan Tiam Tee\u2019s tomb, presumably for her to cook in the afterlife, along with a pearl sanggul, and bracelets. According to my relatives, a set of gold teeth with an engraved heart shape was also found in Tan Yong Chuan\u2019s tomb.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">****<\/p>\n<p>Tan Yong Chuan (son of Mr and Mrs Tan Tian Tee) was finally reunited with his wife for the first time in Holy Family Columbarium after 77 years. The columbarium has an unusual regulation that all photos of the deceased must be in color.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9101\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-11-jpg.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9101\" class=\"wp-image-9101 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-11-jpg-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 11  jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-11-jpg-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-11-jpg-240x320.jpg 240w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-11-jpg.jpg 576w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9101\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Original photo of newly-wedded Tan Yong Chuan and his wife. (photo courtesy of Alvin Ong)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>No color photographs of the deceased had existed at that time, so with the help of numerous correspondences, scans were digitally emailed, and the photos doctored and hand-painted.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9102\" style=\"width: 229px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-12-l-jpg.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9102\" class=\"wp-image-9102 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-12-l-jpg-219x300.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 12 l  jpg\" width=\"219\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-12-l-jpg-219x300.jpg 219w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-12-l-jpg-234x320.jpg 234w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-12-l-jpg.jpg 485w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 219px) 100vw, 219px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9102\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Painted portrait of Maria Anna Seet Chow Neo by Artist (photo courtesy of Alvin Ong)<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_9103\" style=\"width: 210px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-13-r-jpg.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9103\" class=\"wp-image-9103 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-13-r-jpg-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 13 r  jpg\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-13-r-jpg-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-13-r-jpg-214x320.jpg 214w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-13-r-jpg.jpg 452w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9103\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Painted Portrait of Tan Yong Chuan by Artist (photo courtesy of Alvin Ong)<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_9104\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-14-r-jpg.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9104\" class=\"wp-image-9104 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-14-r-jpg-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 14 r  jpg\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-14-r-jpg-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-14-r-jpg-240x320.jpg 240w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-14-r-jpg.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9104\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reunited Mr. &amp; Mrs Tan Yong Huan (photo courtesy of Alvin Ong)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Studying overseas has allowed the artist the space, physically and emotionally, to explore ideas of home and identity. These graves were only re-discovered shortly after the redevelopment plans were announced. The sight of the many abandoned tombs on the artist\u2019s first visit to Bukit Brown had sparked questions about what happened to the descendants of the people who were interred there, which in turn, prompted the artist to explore if there were indeed any family connections to the cemetery at all. Beyond the historical and material significance of the place, it also felt like a site where mystery, the past, and present all came together. Reuniting with the tombs for the first time in many years became an emotional moment for some, and it also made us feel as though we have touched history, an experience that is becoming exceptionally rare in Singapore.<\/p>\n<h3><em><span style=\"color: #808080;\">These were ideas that all came together in the painting, which were almost auto-biographical in that they featured vignettes of the artist\u2019s experience with the discovery of the pioneers of Singapore and his roots. One random memory was a trek with <a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/?p=557\" target=\"_blank\">Raymond Goh <\/a>to <a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/?p=5409\" target=\"_blank\">Seah Eu Chin\u2019s grave<\/a>; One of the Teochew stone lions guarding the perimeter of the tomb eventually found its way into the picture. Raymond was featured in the early stages of the work, but in the end, this idea of displacement, loss and discovery surfaced in the final version titled, \u201cMoving House\u201d.<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_9105\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-15-jpg.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9105\" class=\"wp-image-9105 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-15-jpg-300x197.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 15   jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"197\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-15-jpg-300x197.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-15-jpg-280x184.jpg 280w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-15-jpg.jpg 898w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9105\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8220;Work in progress&#8221; by artist Alvin Ong (image courtesy of the artist)<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_9106\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-16-jpg.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9106\" class=\"wp-image-9106 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-16-jpg-300x201.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 16   jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"201\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-16-jpg-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-16-jpg-280x188.jpg 280w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-16-jpg.jpg 901w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9106\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Final work, \u201cMoving House\u201d, acrylic on canvas, 90 x 61cm (courtesy of Alvin Ong<\/p><\/div>\n<p>This is not the end of the road. There is yet another tomb whose story remains waiting to be told, my maternal great grandfather, Peck Mah Hoe, pictured here. The artist will be heading to the Peck clan temple in attempt to uncover more. And hopefully, there will be more paintings to come.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9107\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-17-jpg.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9107\" class=\"wp-image-9107 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-17-jpg-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 17   jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-17-jpg-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-17-jpg-280x185.jpg 280w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-17-jpg.jpg 901w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9107\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The grave of the artist&#8217;s maternal great grandfather, Peck Mah Hoe(photo courtesy of Alvin Ong)<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_9108\" style=\"width: 209px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-18-jpg.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9108\" class=\"wp-image-9108 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-18-jpg-199x300.jpg\" alt=\"Alvin Ong 18   jpg\" width=\"199\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-18-jpg-199x300.jpg 199w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-18-jpg-680x1024.jpg 680w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-18-jpg-212x320.jpg 212w, https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Alvin-Ong-18-jpg.jpg 898w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9108\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stele in Peck clan temple with the name \u201cPeck Mah Hoe\u201d at the top, although the character for \u201cHoe\u201d differs from the one on the tomb. Photo courtesy of Yik Han.<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">******<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>About\u00a0 the writer who is an\u00a0 artist :<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Alvin Ong is reading fine art in Oxford, and did architecture at the National University of Singapore. In 2004, he was the youngest winner of the UOB painting of the year award at the age of 16. He had his first solo exhibition at 17, in the presence of His Excellency President S R Nathan.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; &#8220;Moving House&#8221; The Story behind the Painting \u00a0by Alvin Ong The story of 3 affected graves at Bukit Brown not too long ago inspired a revival of family interest; Tan Yong Chuan (Blk 4, Div C), Tan Tiam Tee (Blk 3, Div B), Wee Geok Eng Neo (Blk 4, Div 6) were exhumed in May 2014. Old photos were unearthed from family albums, and heirloom objects from another era suddenly came to light. For the first time in decades, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":9106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[92,83,161,116,81,84,93],"tags":[519,524,518,367,523,520,522,521],"class_list":["post-9081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture-society","category-featured","category-heritage-2","category-history-2","category-slider","category-tombs","category-your-say","tag-alvin-ong","tag-exhumation","tag-moving-house","tag-seah-eu-chin","tag-straits-steamship-co","tag-tan-tiam-tee","tag-tan-yong-chuan","tag-wee-geok-eng-neo"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>&quot;Moving House&quot; - The Painting - Bukit Brown: A World Monuments Watch Site in 2014<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bukitbrown.com\/main\/2014\/moving-house-the-painting\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"&quot;Moving House&quot; - The Painting - Bukit Brown: A World Monuments Watch Site in 2014\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&nbsp; &#8220;Moving House&#8221; The Story behind the Painting \u00a0by Alvin Ong The story of 3 affected graves at Bukit Brown not too long ago inspired a revival of family interest; Tan Yong Chuan (Blk 4, Div C), Tan Tiam Tee (Blk 3, Div B), Wee Geok Eng Neo (Blk 4, Div 6) were exhumed in May 2014. 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