Celebrate SG60 with MINT is a special series of programmes and activities designed to honor Singapore’s rich history, culture, and heritage throughout the year of 2025, marking the nation’s 60th year of independence.
Celebrate SG60 With MINT:
Merlion Chronicles: 25 Artists l 25 Stories about Racial Harmony in Singapore
8 July 2025 – 31 December 2025
In celebration of Singapore’s 60th birthday, MINT Museum of Toys presents Merlion Chronicles—a special exhibition featuring 25 Merlion Sofubi Figurines, each uniquely painted by a young aspiring artist in Singapore.
The Merlion, a national symbol, is reimagined as a storytelling canvas where each figurine expresses a child’s personal reflection on racial harmony, inspired by their everyday experiences in a diverse, multicultural society. The term Chronicles captures the spirit of these stories—authentic expressions of friendship, inclusion, and identity through art.
Racial harmony is a cornerstone of Singapore’s identity, built on decades of trust, respect, and coexistence among its many ethnic groups. It is not just a value, but a lived reality that allows Singaporeans of all backgrounds to live, learn, and grow together.
Through this creative platform, MINT Museum of Toys aims to spark meaningful conversations around unity and diversity, while reinforcing our mission to promote understanding through play, art, and heritage.
Featured Exhibition
Level 1 The Public Gallery (Free Admission)
Artists & Art Statements
One Merlion, Many Cultures
My Merlion is inspired by the traditional clothing and accessories of the different races in Singapore. On its face, it features beautiful henna designs and Chinese-inspired makeup. It also wears a mix of multiracial outfits representing the four major races in Singapore. Through this artwork, I want to share the message that we should be open to exploring and appreciating the cultures of others. By being curious, respectful, and inclusive, we can build a more united and understanding society.
Artist Bio: Megan Wong, 11, Chinese
Unity in a Merlion’s Gaze
My Merlion artwork symbolizes harmony in diversity, blending Singapore’s four major races and iconic landmarks into one piece. With portraits of each race and a cityscape across its lower body of Singapore’s landmarks, it celebrates our nation’s unique traits, such as multicultural identity and the shared spirit of Singapore’s nation.
Artist Bio: Amelia Maniam, 11, Indian-Chinese Mix
Catch, Chicken Rice & Harmony
My Merlion is inspired by the friendship I share with my friends from different races. We love playing catch together, and one of our favourite things to do is eat chicken rice—it’s my favourite dish! I drew hearts and bows on the Merlion to show how beautiful racial harmony is. I also used happy colours that remind me of the fun times I have with my friends. At the back of the Merlion’s head, I wrote “SG60” to wish Singapore a very happy 60th birthday!
Artist Bio: Marni Tan, 7, Chinese-Thai Mix
Bracelets of Friendship
I painted my friends and myself playing with dolls around the Merlion. This shows how bond and connect with each other. I also decorated the Merlion with friendship bracelets because my friends and I love making them together, regardless of our diverse racial backgrounds. For Singapore’s birthday, I added stars and a crescent moon on the Merlion’s face to show our love for Singapore! I chose colours that my friends and I like best. This makes the artwork special to us and shows how different we all are, but we’re still great friends.
Artist Bio: Chauncee Lee, 8, Chinese
Pastel Merlion Fun
I painted my Merlion in fun pastel colours, as they remind me of my loving friendships with all my schoolmates, no matter our race. Like colours blending, our friendships creates a harmonious and joyful bond. I also wrote “Hello” in four different languages to show we can connect and understand each other, bridging any differences with a simple, friendly word. For Singapore’s birthday, I gave my Merlion face tattoos. It’s a fun way to show I love Singapore!
Artist Bio: Deborah Koh, 9, Chinese
Colourful Singapore
My merlion is painted with many colours to represent racial harmony. I added the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands as part of celebrating National day.
Artist Bio: Emily Chan, 8, Chinese
Harmony
This project has allowed me to express my understanding of inclusion and unity through visual storytelling, different backgrounds, we share common hopes – and that harmony is something we build together, with empathy and imagination. I chose to depict
Artist Bio: Sophie Hannah Khoo, 12, Chinese
The Things We are Proud of
Even though we are different, we are all proud of the same things. I have chosen to show the four faces looking up at all the things we are proud of in Singapore. They do not belong to one person or another, but to us all. Sharing these wonderful things draw us together as we are proud of the Singapore we all worked together to creat, and that we share today.
Artist Bio: Brigette Liew Rui Zhi, 11, Chinese
The Merlion, an Amalgamation
For my merlion, I chose to portray a blend of different costumes and facial features from Singapore’s four major races. I wanted to reflect how a true Singaporean is often an amalgamation – not just of appearances, but of shared values, heritage and identify shaped by our diversity.
Artist Bio: Eloise Lee Yin Rui, 12, Chinese
Rhythm of Harmony
I love listening to music with my friends, and it doesn’t matter what race we are – music brings us all together! That’s why I painted musical notes on my Merlion. I chose bright, happy colours because they make me feel great, just like the wonderful feeling of racial harmony here in Singapore. When everyone gets along, our country truly becomes a happy and vibrant place. To show my love for Singapore, I proudly wrote “I love SG” and added the Singapore flag right onto my Merlion!
Artist Bio: Kai Kumura, 11, Chinese-Japanese Mix
Merlion of Dreams and Friendship
This Merlion is a tribute to my awesome friends! I’ve drawn my friends on it, wearing matching t-shirts to show our bond. We love playing Brawl Stars together, and it’s amazing how my phone connects me to gamers from different countries. It shows how we can all play and have fun together, no matter where we’re from. I also drew a rainbow on my Merlion. For me, the rainbow means wishing on all our dreams – hoping that every single one of them comes true for my friends and for me!
Artist Bio: Kei Kumura, 11, Chinese-Japanese Mix
Together Like Kueh Lapis
The colourful, layered dessert gave me the idea to paint the Merlion’s hair in bright rainbow colours — just like the layers of a kueh lapis! Each layer is different but when you put them together, it looks beautiful and yummy — just like how people of different races can live together happily in Singapore. I think Racial Harmony means we can all be different, but still care for each other. That’s why I used lots of colours and made sure every person I drew looked happy. I want my artwork to show that Singapore is stronger and more fun when we all live together like one big family!”
Artist Bio: Chloe Lim, 9, Chinese
Voices of Harmony
My merlion represents what racial harmony means to me. To me, racial harmony people coming together regardless of what language they speak and understanding each other. To show this, I included greetings and words from the four main languages often spoken in Singapore: English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil.
Artist Bio: Emma Bay, 10, Chinese
Unity on a Plate
To show how cosmopolitan and culturally harmonious Singapore is, I chose food as the common passion across all cultures. I painted the hamburger, the ketupat, roti prata, and dumpling to represent the 4 major races of Singapore. While I wasn’t born in Singapore, i enjoy the delicacies of this country and benefit much from the peace and harmony of Singapore!
Artist Bio: Emma Hoshi, 11, Chinese-Japanese Mix
Fabric of a Nation
The different races in Singapore make Singapore what it is. I used the clothing that people of different races wear to symbolise the races. The tie represents the Eurasians, the garland represents the Indians, the traditional chinese shirt represents the Chinese and the sarong represents the Malays.
Artist Bio: Sarah Wong, 10, Chinese
Blossoms of Unity
National flowers represent the country’s natural heritage, identity and culture. For example, the national flower of Singapore, Vanda Miss Joaquim, symbolises resillience, uniqueness, and a multicultural heritage. I chose to show racial harmony through the depiction of different national bloms.
Artist Bio: Cara Cheong, 10, Chinese
A Bird Song
My merlion is inspired by my love of birds. I’ve included many of the local birds in Singapore such as the red junglefowl, the pink-necked green pigeon, crimson sunbird, and the tree sparrow into different parts of the merlion, adding their different coloured feathers. Racial harmony to me is like how all these birds look different but co-exist in harmony in Singapore.
Artist Bio: Vicky Guan, 9, Chinese
Flavours of Our People
I added the four different races onto the body of the merlion to represent racial harmony. I also drew the foods from different cultures that I like in Singapore.
Artist Bio: Kaelyn, 7, Chinese
Woven in Unity
I depicted a merlion with different skin tones of the 4 major races in Singapore, and decided to dress it up in the traditional Singapore Airlines kebaya. I am hoping to show the unity of four races and the harmony we enjoy in Singapore. The kabaya is a fusion and reflection of the combination of our cultures and ethnic backgrounds.
Artist Bio: Beth Koh, 10, Chinese
My Slice of Singapore
I put a slice of kueh lapis because me and my brother like to eat it and it is like a flag.I also put a chong sam because i wear it for racial harmony. Through these symbols, I wanted to show how small, everyday things—like food and clothing—can carry deeper meaning about who we are and how we live together in harmony in Singapore.
Artist Bio: Jill Cheang, 9, Chinese
You are Unique
In Singapore there are many different people. All different kind of people, nationalities, cultures, and also skin colours. Everyone is unique. And we can all learn from each other. We just need to be kind and respectful. That’s what i really like about Singapore. This is special.
Artist Bio: Phillippa Priess, 7, Caucasian
Food: The Universal Language of Friendship
Many of my close friends come from different racial backgrounds, and one of the things that brings us together is food. I also feel that food represents different races. For my piece, I want to celebrate how food is a universal language that connects people, regardless of race.
Artist Bio: Aidan Maniam, 8, Chinese
A Shared Journey of Unity and Cultural Richness
Food is more than just nourishment—it’s a powerful symbol of culture, tradition, and connection. In a multicultural society like Singapore, food brings people from diverse backgrounds together, creating moments of shared joy and understanding.
Artist Bio: Camilla Lee, 8 Chinese
A Rainbow of Harmony
Instead of painting my Merlion, I chose to create a mixed-media sculptural collage to give it a more dynamic and textured presence. I made a rainbow as the central symbol to represent harmony, positivity, and togetherness across all races. Just like a rainbow blends different colors beautifully, my Merlion embodies the diversity and unity that define Singapore.
Artist Bio: Jude Tan, 7, Chinese
Merlion of Abundance
Meet my cuddly Merlion of abundance — with a dumpling belly symbolizing prosperity, a proud Singapore flag atop its head, and a lion’s sleepy tail curled in peace. Nestled beside it, a little fish pays homage to our humble beginnings as a fishing village. A charming tribute to Singapore’s past and future!
Artist Bio: Elijah Chan, 12, Chinese
MERLION CHRONICLES: UPCYCLING ART ACTIVITY
8 July – 20 July 2025
Join us in celebrating Singapore’s 60th birthday with a meaningful art activity!
Decorate your own mini Merlion figurine using upcycled materials provided on-site.
Each uniquely crafted Merlion reflects our individual differences, and when displayed together, they symbolize the unity, diversity, and harmony that define Singapore—where people of all races, languages, and religions come together as one nation, moving forward into the future with strength and purpose.
All completed Merlion figurines will be proudly exhibited at the MINT Museum of Toys as a collective artwork—showcasing how our differences come together to form a united and vibrant Singapore.
✨ Participation is free for all museum visitors.
✨ Non-museum visitors are welcome to join too at $10 per Merlion figurine.
Let’s create a future of unity—one Merlion at a time!
Celebrate SG60 With MINT: Kampong Playtime: Singaporean Childhoods Through Toys
WALKING TRAIL
Discover a treasured collection of Early Toys & Traditional Folk Games that once brought kampong communities together through creativity and imagination through a walking trail.
EXPERIENTIAL PLAY
Try your hand at kampong games like Goli, Gasing, Chapteh, Kuti Kuti as well as multi-racial games such as Congkak, Hopscotch, Aeroplane Chess and Snakes & Ladders while learning about their cultural roots through this experiential play.
HAND-PAINTED CRAFT ACTIVITY
Make your own hand-painted kite using recycled materials, an ode to the resourcefulness of childhoods gone by.
Celebrate SG60 With MINT: Guide & Colouring Box
PLAY KAMPONG GAMES AT THE ROOFTOP
Transport yourself to 1950s Singapore, where the simple joys of kampong games brought communities together. At the rooftop level of the MINT Museum of Toys, relive the nostalgia of childhood pastimes like Goli, Gasing, Chapteh, and Kuti Kuti. Soak in the atmosphere as you play these traditional games while learning about their significance and the stories behind them. Experience the heritage of a bygone era and reconnect with the games that once shaped Singaporean childhoods.
DISCOVER SINGAPORE-MADE TOYS AROUND THE MUSEUM
Singapore-made toys from the 1950s and 1960s made by toy-making companies in Singapore such as Blue-Box and Singapore Toy & Co, will provide you a nostalgic glimpse into iconic buildings that no longer exist today through the Traces of Singapura collection. Take a look back at the nation’s imagination and aspirations of Wild West and Western World through the Fascination with the West collection via a self-guided tour.
GUIDE & COLOURING BOX
This experience encourages creativity learning through colouring with a colour-your-way box designed by brand collaboration partner, Faber-Castell, featuring national landmarks such as the iconic Merlion first unveiled in 1972!
The Guide & Colouring Box Includes:
- 20 minutes colouring technique sharing
- Coloured creations coming to life in Augmented Reality (AR)
- Colouring materials from Faber-Castell:
- 12 Colours Neon & Pastel Connector Pen Set
- 10 Colours Connector Pen Set
- 8 Colours Jumbo Connector Pen Set
The Faber-Castell Connector Pen series are designed with Connector caps for fun clicking and easy organisation. Colours are also made with non-toxic water based inks allowing for easy wash up.
TRIVIA & MERLION FIGURINE COLLECTIBLE
Discover fascinating facts about the iconic Merlion and other beloved national landmarks such as The Esplanade and Singapore Flyer. Test your knowledge, learn new things and take home a limited edition Merlion Vinyl Figurine Collectible*!