Under the Sea

Childhood memories of playing on the beach and being mesmerised by marine life significantly shaped Gary Ang’s Tatler Dining Guide 2023 cover illustration

Whether it’s having a meal at your favourite childhood restaurant or savouring a dish that feels like home, we can all agree that eating evokes nostalgia. And Singaporean artist Gary Ang’s Tatler Dining Guide 2023 cover design hopes to do just that.

Also known as Ming, the self-taught illustrator remembers his fondest childhood food memories revolving around seafood and the ocean. “I always get my inspiration from things around me,” he explains, and growing up in the East of Singapore, the now-defunct Big Splash waterpark was a common fixture in his childhood. Other than the water slides, it was home to a seafood restaurant with lavish seafood tanks on display. “There was just something hypnotic about fish and crustaceans swimming inside—and that’s what I wanted to recreate in my artwork.”

What he came up with is a dream-like illustration of a seafood tank brimming with sea creatures in vibrant shades of blue, purple, and pink. Completing the picture is a little girl looking at the tanks, as if mesmerised by the bustling underwater life that brings back food memories. Here, he shares more about his personal stories, which led to his nostalgic artwork.

What connects you to Singapore?

It’s definitely food. I studied in Toronto, Canada for four years and while living overseas, I always yearned for local food. I believe that the food you grew up eating will forever be ingrained in your memories.

What are your fondest food memories growing up on the island?

I always remember the chilli crab and mee goreng that my mum would bring home from Punggol Seafood.

When my mum was teaching in Bedok, she would regularly make the trip to Punggol for a seafood meal with her colleagues and save some dishes for us to enjoy at home.

Please explain your connection to the sea.

The sea has always been a key part of my childhood. The waters around Singapore, especially in Changi, were a lot cleaner in the eighties, and I swam in the sea a lot. A particularly distinct memory I have is swimming to the buoys out in the sea at Changi and collecting mussels for dinner, which I would usually cook with sambal chilli.

When I was in secondary school and junior college, I always visited the jetty in Pulau Ubin to fish with friends. We would cook our catch of the day on the spot over a bunsen burner.

If you could describe your personality as a type of food, what would it be and why?

I think I’m a cup of local kopi-o. I’m introverted and private but can be friendly when I feel like it. So, I guess black coffee with notes of sweetness from roasting with margarine and sugar.