Cover Liquan Liew and Estella Ng of the artist collective Ripple Root
Liquan Liew and Estella Ng of the artist collective Ripple Root
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Putting on the strokes to joyful murals and works of art, the duo shares how, after nearly 10 years of working together, its vision remains the same, if not stronger
When it comes to art, sometimes two heads are better than one. Just look at Christo and Jeanne-Claude and their monumental installations; Gilbert & George and their large‑scale collages; and Elmgreen & Dragset and their view towards subversion.
Two more names to add to the list: Liquan and Estella, better known as Ripple Root, the home‑grown collective noted for their “collaborative, carefree works reflecting themes of nature and wildlife”. When we first meet Liquan Liew and Estella Ng, we are immediately struck by how in sync they are with one another, often finishing each other’s sentences. Partners in art, they are also best friends. “We are telepathic,” says Ng, who is married with two children. “We’re like the Olsen twins,” Liew offers. “We’re like family; it’s deeper than friends,” Ng adds.
The two first met in 2014 while working at a design agency, where Liew was the design director. One of the projects they worked on was designing merchandise for a museum shop and cafe. Looking through the archives of works by Nanyang artists such as Liu Kang and Georgette Chen inspired them “to make art and create our own style”, says Ng, who later left the company. They missed working together, so they started hanging out on weekends painting in the living room of her family home.
“It was a sort of an incubation period for us. There was no pressure to make anything, just the act of creating art. But we liked what we saw—it felt new and fresh,” says Liew. Over time, they came up with their own abstract figurative style. Like in a game of tag, they would take turns to put on the brush strokes, “responding to each other in an organic rhythm”, explains Ng.
Above The artist collective with a painting from the “Native Nesters” exhibition
Above The exhibition plays up the idea of nesting, featuring native flora and fauna
The artist collective with a painting from the “Native Nesters” exhibition
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She’s Ripple, and he’s Root. “I’m always moving, and he’s more grounded,” Ng shares. Behind the name lies the premise of how they got started: “One of our favourite spots to paint is Labrador Park, particularly the mangrove swamps,” says Liew. “We wanted to pay homage to that: the ripples in the swamp and roots of the mangroves.”
Their first solo show held in the Ngs’ living room featured more than 20 works, which were almost sold out thanks to the support of friends and family, as well as former partners and clients. One of them is Ben Gattie, co-founder of The Working Capitol, who later came to them with a proposition to create their now‑famous mural in a Keong Saik Road alley.
That first commissioned work opened up a path for them as muralists, “even before murals became a thing”, and helped them find their footing as visual artists. More commissions started rolling in, but the turning point came in 2017 when they worked with brands such as Facebook, Muji, and the former Straits Clan (now Mandala Club), cementing their credibility as artists.
Marking its 10th year of working together, Ripple Root will be staging its tenth solo showcase, Native Nesters, from November 11 to 20 (with the opening night on November 10), at Hearth by Art Outreach in Gillman Barracks. A celebration of what makes a home, the exhibition plays up the idea of nesting, featuring native flora and fauna, with migrating birds integrating with local animals, and folkloric symbols given a contemporary, whimsical twist.
With more than 20 new paintings in the exhibition, along with a pocket-sized book depicting their journey so far, the collection took them almost six months to create over summer break from adjunct lecturing—Ng at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, and Liew at the Lasalle College of the Arts.
“We want to find a sense of home, where there is peace. You can go out there and do all these things, but when you come home it’s your safe haven,” says Liew. “A lot of the works reflect that. For example, we have motifs of birds just resting; they have wings but, at the same time, they choose to rest and take a pause.”
Above The exhibition is accompanied by a pocket-sized book of the same name depicting Ripple Root's journey so far
The exhibition is accompanied by a pocket-sized book of the same name depicting Ripple Root's journey so far
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From creating solo works to corporate commissions, Ripple Root also diversified to personal commissions. Some notable walls include Cuppage Terrace and Robertson Quay (where Tatler shot them for this story); their works are in private collections, among them the Peranakan Museum; they exhibited in Seoul, London, Sydney and Melbourne; and also have an artwork sold through Sotheby’s.
They are constantly looking for new surfaces to work on—seen in some of their more recent works, including the Starbucks at Bird Paradise, which features art on glass, while Chatterbox Cafe at The Wai in Hong Kong is home to a mural painted on tiles—and they are only getting started. Next on their bucket list: designing a wine label.
For all that they have achieved so far, recognition is important to Ripple Root but not in the way you would expect: “The art has always been bigger than the both of us. We want the art to be at the forefront, not Liquan and Estella. You don’t necessarily need to know us,” says Ng.
Credits
Photography: Wong Weiliang
Hair: Angel Gwee
Make-Up: Angel Gwee
Grooming: Angel Gwee
Images: Ripple Root
As Senior Editor of Tatler Singapore, Hashirin champions and refines the storytelling across platforms—curating and crafting compelling profiles, cover stories and features that spotlight visionaries shaping culture, business and impact. Driven by curiosity, she draws inspiration from the artists, changemakers and trailblazers she encounters through her work. Beyond the pages of Tatler, she is an avid supporter of local theatre and delights in seeking out art in every city she visits.
