While we often credit Sir Stamford Raffles as Singapore's founder, much of the work of developing and managing the island was done by William Farquhar and other East India Company administrators. MessyMsxi's fictional banknote features William Farquhar with his beloved pets. The banknote reflects the economic significance of Singapore as a trading outpost for the British empire while its content reflects a different side of William Farquhar's love for flora and fauna. The illustration style of the animals and landscape was inspired by the Natural History Drawings painted by unknown Chinese artists whom William Farquhar commissioned between 1819 and 1823.
Porcelain is a medium where colour variation is a natural occurring feature of reactive, speckled, matte and cobalt-blue glazed finishing. Irregularities in glaze and texture should be celebrated as a mark of the artist's hand. Therefore, each piece is unique and has a handcrafted element to it.
