National Day ‘Yarn Bombing’ at Jurong Lake Gardens: A unique knitted affair with the trees

SINGAPORE: To commemorate National Day, Taman Jurong’s fiber artists engaged in ‘yarn bombing,’ adorning numerous trees along the pathways within the Jurong Lake Gardens area.

“Yarn bombing,” represent a street art form where crocheted or knitted yarn is integrated onto outdoor elements like trees and poles, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the surroundings.

These installations are the result of a collaborative endeavor among the Taman Jurong Active Aging Committee, Yarnbombing SG – a group passionate about crocheting and knitting, and the National Parks Board (NParks).

They named the art project as “Our Yarny Trees@TJ, National Day 2023 Edition,” which was done in conjunction with National Day.

Passersby observed that the designs and decorations added more color and liveliness to the park, simultaneously representing aspects of Singapore’s culture and heritage.

The people behind the project

The people behind this endeavour were Ms. Mona Cheah, aged 63, a co-founder of Yarnbombing SG, and Ms Khairiyana, aged 39, a full-time healthcare professional and a member of Yarnbombing SG who collaborated together.

Both women, acting as members of the Taman Jurong Active Aging Committee, initially proposed this concept as an effort to involve participants in the organization’s active aging programs.

After receiving approval for the project and the designated display area from NParks, Yarnbombing SG assumed the role of guiding enthusiastic participants who had signed up through social media to participate in the crocheting and knitting tasks.

The display will be up from 5 August until 5 October.

“Think of it as graffiti, but using yarn, and it is temporary since we never leave our stuff there for a long time,” Ms Cheah said.

She added that they were initially worried about the ‘safety’ of the decorations over time.

“But after the end of the events, none of the crafts was damaged. It reinforced our faith that Singaporeans are very good people, that they do look after our work.”

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