My inspiration for this artwork was the painting War and Peace by Hendra Gunawan c. 1950s.

Gunawan was a very influential fighter in the 1940s and a very important artist and painter. I particularly enjoyed creating the colouring the background which I believe is the highlight of the painting. 

My painting is based on the number 1, which is the number of wars Singapore has endured and illustrates Singapore’s rise from a swamp to the current Metropolitan it has now become. It portrays Singapore as a tree with a gun at its root. This signifies hardship and labour transforming the country into architectural splendour. 

I believe the vibrant colours enhance the look of the painting. I used the paintbrush to create small splashes to add contrast to the plain bold colours that adorn the background. The shades of green represent the forest, trees and swamps that Singapore was built upon.

The name Sanctus Gun is derived from the Latin word sanctus. Sanctus means holy in English. The “Holy Gun”!