☼ Sharityland ♥

Campaign City: Life In Posters

From Sharity Elephant to Singa Lion, “Two is Enough” to “Clean & Green”, campaigns and their mascots are an idiosyncratic part of Singapore’s national heritage. The National Library of Singapore, in partnership with Salon Projects, explores this aspect of our heritage in the exhibition – Campaign City: Life In Posters. Supported by SMP, visitors to this exhibition will also be able to pen down their memories of past and present campaigns and contribute to the wall of memories for showcase.

We have invited 50 artists, leaders from the creative industry and students to design posters by tapping on their personal memories of campaigns. Their works are accompanied by a historical survey which features highlights from the Library’s campaign poster collection.

Since the late 80's, Sharity is Singapore's mascot for charity. Children are taught in school the virtue of generosity and compassion through this fable:

"Once upon a time, there was a little pink elephant called Sharity. He was kind and loving. But Sharity was very unhappy as he was often bullied by his peers because he was the only pink elephant. His parents took him away in search of a new home. They managed to find Sharityland, a land of caring and sharing where Sharity was accepted by everyone there. Whenever Sharity was happy, his heart grew and lifted him high into the blue sky…"

Sharity reminds us of the universality of giving and sharing, to date making public appearances at Roadshows.

There is an intrigue and element of fantasy in Sharity's story. I was interested in narrating this in the fashion of a vintage children's book illustration.