I had been in the living quarters of Sean Hua Zee Temple only for a few minutes, but I was already starting to sweat. Despite the afternoon heat, the ceiling fan remained off.It couldn't be helped, though. In the middle of the room, Mr Francis Tan Kwee Chye was hard at work, carefully rubbing gold leaf into a wooden signboard. Turning the fan on for some cooling relief would blow the delicate foil away.When I had arrived at the temple off Changi Road, which doubles as Mr Tan's home and studio, the 50-year-old welcomed me in before apologetically asking for a few minutes to finish the work in front of him.As a master of traditional Teochew crafts, he's spent over three decades handmaking wood carvings, temple lanterns, paper effigies and even refurbishing deity statues.
Mr Tan is not especially talkative, but once the conversation turns to his work, he seems to light up. He readily reaches for photographs, old pieces or reference books, eager to explain how something was made or point out a detail that might otherwise escape my notice.At one point during my visit, he even broke open a container that had been sealed for about two decades to show me the miniature figurines kept inside, some of which he had made in primary school.Straightforward doesn't interest him – he prefers the challenge of elaborate flowers, birds and animals over simpler creations such as tables and chairs."I like to make special things," he said simply.Presented with proof after proof of Mr Tan's artistry, I was surprised to learn that his impressive skills were almost entirely self-taught.He has never formally apprenticed under a master, instead painstakingly honing his abilities through years of observation, failed attempts and fragments of guidance from other artists.
