THE BOY AND THE GARFISH

Written and illustrated by Heng Li Ching

Exhibition: Clay Makers’ Market, Level 7, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, 5 - 8 November 2026

Book launch: Sunday, 22 November 5 - 5.45 pm, Reading by the River Space

 

Heng Li Cheng retells and illustrates the Garfish legend, having researched The Malay Annals, academic sources and Orang Laut oral history.

 

As watercolour artist and clay maker, she uses both media with charming highlights to the fable. 

 

The result is a nuanced story that is unlike the one we know.  

 

Heng Li Ching specializes in pen and watercolour as well as clay. She derives her aesthetic influences from mythology, nature and Chinese ink painting. She has illustrated Jade’s Quest for her Heritage, I Wish I had a Dog, To Let the Light In, and Where Shall I Sleep Tonight Mama? and was featured in the Asian Festival of Children’s Content in 2018 and 2019. She is a brand demonstrator for German paint makers, Schmincke.

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BOOK BITS – HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS FOR BOOK LOVERS

By Studio GDMC

 

Venue: Clay Makers’ Market, Level 7, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, 6 - 8 November 2026

Duration: 1 - 1.5 hours each
Format: Hands-on ceramics workshops
Suitable for: Beginners and participants with no prior clay experience, all ages above 7 years

Cost: $108 per work, including materials and firing

 

In this workshop, participants explore how stories, words and personal memories can be translated into small functional or decorative ceramic works.

Guided step by step, participants will learn foundational hand-building techniques to cut, fold and join clay. They will personalise their work with relief details, textures, symbols, lettering and other decorative elements, then apply underglazes to bring colour and character to their piece.

Each participant will create one ceramic work to be fired.

Collection: Fired works will be ready for collection at Studio GDMC (71 Ubi Crescent #01-0102 Excalibur Centre. S408571) in approximately 4 weeks

Optional delivery: $30 per location