When is your first experience with philately?
It was my father whom had sparked my interest in philately. Of course, I was then at a very young age, and was attracted and overwhelmed by the many miniature art pieces in his collection. I could remember helping him to soak those stamps in trough of water, waiting for each to slide gently off the envelopes, and then air-drying every piece of them on newspapers. Indeed, stamp collecting was one of the many enduring moments of my childhood years.
When did you first start stamp designing? Can you name some of the issues you have designed?
The year was 2002, and I was fortunate enough to work on the "The William Farqhuar Collection of Natural History Drawings" issues, as well as the "Festivals" stamp series, which was my first project as a stamp designer. The others include "Night Creatures" in 2003, and "Definitives Flora and Fauna", which was released in 2007.
How did you prepare yourself before you start designing for this theme?
I have to gather as much information as possible from all available sources, that means browsing and sieving through archived news articles on 48 years of Singapore's history!
How did the design idea for this stamp issue come about?
The idea is quite simple, and stems from that of a visual timeline. For poignancy, it was decided that photography be used to depict the subject matter. The result was a pictorial interpretation of Singapore now and then, a visual narrative on five defining moments of our history.
Greatest challenge for this issue?
Time and resource, perhaps, were the major hurdles. Nonetheless, with the generous assistance and contributions from all involved, we have overcome many, if not, all of the problems. This stamp issue is truly a team effort, and I wish to take this opportunity to thank all who have helped in one way of another.
What do you think stands out most for this stamp design?
I think it is the interplay of old and new photographs to convey the "Singapore Story". Indeed, every picture has its own story to tell.
Describe this series of stamps using three words.
I would like to refer to these three words, "Remember", "Remind" and "Rejoice". Simply put, we should not forget about our past; we must constantly remind ourselves how far we have arrived; and lastly, all of us should take pride and rejoice in our achievements.
Moving forward, what other themes do you hope to have the opportunity to work on?
I hope there are opportunities to work on themes that are not only closer to home: but to our hearts, subjects which all of us hold dear. Themes such as long forgotten landmarks, or street names, or even heirloom recipes of different races, could be fascinating topics for us to explore next.
