British artist Stephen Wiltshire draws Singapore from memory

Artist finishes drawing Singapore from memory
By Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 21 Jul 2014

AFTER five days of drawing, British architectural artist Stephen Wiltshire completed his panorama of Singapore last night.

"Thank you very much for coming and appreciating my work," he told the hundreds of people who thronged the main atrium of Paragon mall in Orchard Road to catch a glimpse of him in action.

"Do the best you can and never stop," added Mr Wiltshire, 40, who was diagnosed with autism when he was three years old, and started drawing when he was five.

During his trip here with his sister Annette, 42, Mr Wiltshire toured historic Chinatown and took an hour-long helicopter ride over the Marina Bay area to memorise the skyline. His 10-day visit ends tomorrow.

He picked Marina Bay Sands as his favourite building, and it was the first thing he sketched when he began the drawing last Wednesday. The hardest were the residential buildings on the right side of the drawing, he said last night.



He put the finishing touches on the 4m-by-1m canvas by shading in trees with a pencil, watched by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong, who also heads the SG50 programme office. Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) top brass including chairman Lee Boon Yang and chief executive Alan Chan were present.

Mr Wiltshire was commissioned to create the artwork by SPH as part of the See The Big Picture project to mark its 30th anniversary this year. The panorama will be displayed at the Urban Redevelopment Authority Singapore City Gallery until it is formally presented to President Tony Tan Keng Yam in September, as a gift to Singapore for the nation's 50th birthday next year.

Primary 6 pupil Joner Goh visited Paragon over the past two days hoping to meet Mr Wiltshire, after watching videos about him online months ago. He got what he wished for yesterday when the artist signed a card for him.

"I feel very satisfied and happy after seeing his work," said the 12-year-old, who takes art lessons at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. "His drawing brings out the beauty of Singapore."

Drawing Singapore from memory

Famed British artist starts on sketch of cityscape
By Paige Lim, The Straits Times, 17 Jul 2014

ALL eyes were on British artist Stephen Wiltshire at Paragon yesterday morning, as the savant began drawing the Singapore cityscape from memory.

He had picked out Marina Bay Sands as his favourite after an hour-long helicopter ride the day before to get an aerial view of Singapore's skyline.

So it was apt that an outline of the iconic integrated resort was the first thing the artist sketched on the left of the 4m by 1m blank canvas which was mounted on a wooden structure.

Seated on a high chair and plugged into music from his iPhone, he then went over the pencilled outline with a pen.

"This is the first time I've been to Singapore and the skyline was so beautiful and nice. I'm feeling good and am excited to start on the panorama," the 40-year-old told the media at the press launch of See The Big Picture, which is part of Singapore Press Holdings' (SPH) 30th anniversary celebrations.

At the event, which began at 10am, SPH chairman Lee Boon Yang presented Mr Wiltshire with a blue Staedtler HB pencil with which he began his sketch.



By noon, there were more than 100 people gathered at Paragon's main atrium to witness the artist in action.

Diagnosed with autism when he was three years old, Mr Wiltshire is acclaimed for his astounding ability to draw detailed cityscapes from memory after viewing them once.

Some members of the public sat on black benches at the front of the stage to catch Mr Wiltshire's live drawing, while others walked around admiring his famous panoramic works, 18 of which were on display. These include finely detailed sketches of cityscapes and landmarks in London, New York, Venice and Rio de Janeiro.

Most people who came for the event at Paragon yesterday had read about him in the papers or online. Housewife Dorothy Tan, 62, said: "I've heard about him before and rushed down here to watch him. His drawings are amazing and I'm looking forward to seeing the whole big picture of the Singapore landscape."

Student Daniel Lee, 22, said: "The most impressive thing is the level of detail he can put into his piece of art after just a few hours of observation. I'll probably go down the next few days to check on his progress."

By 5pm yesterday, he had already completed drawing the Gardens by the Bay on the canvas.

Mr Wiltshire will be at Paragon drawing in full view of the public from 10am to 5pm every day till Sunday, which is when he is slated to complete the artwork. The finished work of art will be presented to President Tony Tan Keng Yam in September as a gift to Singapore for the nation's 50th birthday next year.

For updates on Mr Wiltshire's drawing progress, check out Facebook (www.facebook.com/seethebigpicturesg), Instagram (@SeeTheBigPictureSG), Twitter (@SeeTheBigPicSG) and the official website (www.seethebigpicture.sg)

A gift to Singapore
The Straits Times, 17 Jul 2014

BRITISH architectural artist Stephen Wiltshire has been commissioned to draw Singapore's cityscape by Singapore Press Holdings as part of an event called See The Big Picture, to celebrate the company's 30th anniversary.

When completed, Mr Wiltshire's 4m-long panorama of the Lion City will be displayed at the Urban Redevelopment Authority Singapore City Gallery until it is formally presented to President Tony Tan Keng Yam in September as a gift to Singapore for the nation's 50th birthday next year.

Watch Mr Wiltshire at work at the main atrium of Paragon shopping mall in Orchard Road, from now until Sunday, 10am to 5pm.

Memory of a lifetime
British autistic artist Stephen Wiltshire puts his heart into drawing Singapore's cityscape
By Paige Lim, The Straits Times, 19 Jul 2014

One look at a panoramic cityscape is all it takes for the image to be etched in British artist Stephen Wiltshire's memory for the rest of his life.

More astounding is the fact that the 40-year-old savant, who is autistic, can draw a city he has seen right down to the finest detail even 20 years after a single visit.

His sister Annette, 42, says: "Once he has absorbed the view and memorised it, that's it - he's got it forever."

Diagnosed with autism when he was three - he could not speak fully till he was nine - the artist is internationally renowned for his amazing ability to draw detailed cityscapes from memory after viewing them just once.

His talent has allowed him to travel the world and sketch the skylines of major cities such as London, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

He is in Singapore for the first time to draw its cityscape at the event See The Big Picture, as part of Singapore Press Holdings' 30th anniversary celebrations.

Since Wednesday, he has been drawing an aerial view of the city on a 4m-by-1m canvas from 10am to 5pm every day, in full public view, at the main atrium of Paragon shopping centre.

Before beginning his sketch, he was taken on an hour-long helicopter ride on Tuesday to view Singapore's skyline.

He will be at Paragon until tomorrow, which is when he is slated to complete the artwork. It will be presented to President Tony Tan Keng Yam in September as a gift to Singapore for its 50th birthday next year.

When Life! visited Paragon on Wednesday at noon, the black benches in front of the stage were packed with people, while others stood around watching him draw. Despite the large turnout, the artist was unfazed.

Sitting on a high chair and plugged into music from his iPhone, he appeared to be in a world of his own as he slowly but steadily sketched out areas of Singapore's landscape for seven hours straight, save for an hour's break at 1.30pm daily.

Wiltshire, who tends to speak slowly, was in good spirits. "It is a pleasure drawing in front of an audience and not at all stressful. I always listen to music when I draw because it makes me feel good and allows me to concentrate," he says.

He enjoys listening to a wide range of tunes, including rock 'n' roll, Motown, funk, soul, rhythm, blues and pop.

He adds: "The cityscape was so beautiful and nice. But Singapore is sometimes difficult to draw, like the details of the residential areas."

By 5pm yesterday, he had completed two-thirds of the drawing.

Dealing with her brother's autism during a time when the condition was almost unheard of was difficult, says Ms Wiltshire. This was especially so as their father, an electrician had died in a motorbike accident in 1976, a year before he was diagnosed.

She says: "Autism in the 1970s was a taboo subject and a lot of parents who had autistic children were embarrassed. There were no books or schooling on how to go about handling it so we just did the best we could."

It was her mother who kept the family together. She raised them on her own and Ms Wiltshire vaguely recalls her taking on a part-time job in the evenings to support them.

"After my father died, my mum had two choices - either to give up or be strong and bring us up in the best way possible. She made us independent."

Their mother Geneva, 68, has retired and now lives with her son in London.

Understandably, the two siblings share a close bond. Ms Wiltshire accompanies her brother on all his travels. She manages his artistic affairs, such as running his art gallery in London and organising commissions and exhibitions.

She is also a jewellery designer who produces modern Art Deco pieces in her free time. She lives with her husband, a 37-year-old software programmer, in London. They have no children.

"My mother said to us that people and friends would come and go, but no matter what happens, we would always have one another. I've stuck to that to this day."

With his impressive gallery of intricate panoramic commissions and originals of his work fetching thousands of pounds each, Wiltshire has certainly come a long way.

Born in London in 1974, he attended Queensmill School, a special school for autistic children, when he was five. It was there that he uncovered his talent.

The bachelor says: "I would use crayons, pencils and felt-tip pens to draw animals, cars, London transport buses and landmarks such as the Big Ben and Tower Bridge."

After winning several children's art competitions, he sold his first drawing of Salisbury Cathedral at age eight to former British prime minister Edward Heath.

He came to wider public attention in 1987 after an appearance in a BBC programme called The Foolish Wise Ones, on autistic savants, which led to him being referred to as "the best child artist in Britain" by the late Hugh Casson, a former president of London's Royal Academy of Arts.

In 2005, he was commissioned by organisations and individuals to undertake panoramic drawings of 10 world cities, starting with a 10m-long canvas of the Tokyo skyline, all sketched from memory.

With art having changed his life remarkably, it is no surprise that Wiltshire wants to keep doing it for as long as he lives.

"Drawing makes me feel good and excited. I want to keep doing the best I can and never stop," he says, adding that he would love to visit the cities of Montreal, Dallas, Houston and Boston for his next projects.

He says the most difficult drawing he has completed so far is of the city of Jerusalem in Israel.

"There was a lot of information and residential places to remember. I could not understand many of the names and areas because they were all in Hebrew."

He is well aware that his is no ordinary gift.

Asked to name the most important person in his life, he declares matter-of-factly: "Me, I am the most important person. I'm a genius."

His sister says: "I think he's become much more confident because he is truly in his element. The main thing is that he enjoys what he is doing and gets to travel to places he only ever dreamt of before."

She adds: "There used to be doubts over his future, but I guess he's the one having the last laugh now."

See S'pore skyline sketch at URA gallery
Public can view canvas by renowned British artist for free from September
By Daryl Chin, The Straits Times, 22 Jul 2014

IF YOU missed renowned British artist Stephen Wiltshire's panoramic sketch of the city's skyline over the weekend, fret not.

Come September, the 4m-by-1m canvas will be permanently displayed at the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Singapore City Gallery alongside some of the artist's other works. Admission is free to the gallery at The URA Centre, 45 Maxwell Road.

The drawing, to be framed first, was completed by Mr Wiltshire on Sunday - done entirely from memory after a 45-minute helicopter ride over the local skyline. Mr Wiltshire, 40, has autism.

The work was commissioned by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) as part of the See The Big Picture project to mark its 30th anniversary this year, and as a gift to Singapore for the nation's 50th birthday next year.

Mr Wiltshire wrapped up his 10-day visit to Singapore with a tour of autism-focused Pathlight School yesterday.

Accompanied by his sister, Annette, 42, he interacted with students in the foyer cafe, then perused various pieces of student artwork such as plasticine sculptures of monsters and dinosaurs and foot stools decorated with hand-drawn prints.

"I felt really good meeting the students, and they are very talented," he said. "Some of the sculptures reminded me of the clay work I did as a boy.... I hope they never stop (doing the best they can)."

Mr Wiltshire also demonstrated his acclaimed artistic skills by putting pencil to paper along with nine students in the auditorium.

Post by See The Big Picture SG.

Within 45 minutes, he drew London's Houses of Parliament, including the iconic Big Ben clock tower and the city's 02 Arena, formerly known as the Millennium Dome. He also drew New York's Statue of Liberty and a Ford Mustang cruising near the Grand Canyon.

Aspiring artist Glenn Phua, seated next to him, said he greatly admired Mr Wiltshire's visual memory, which enables the artist to reproduce detailed buildings and landmarks with great accuracy and scale after a glance.

The 17-year-old Pathlight student said: "His work is so amazing. I need to look at more pictures and start practising also."

Pathlight school supervisor Denise Phua, also the Mayor of Central Singapore District, said Mr Wiltshire's visit was significant as it raised public awareness for those with special needs.

"People with special needs are an integral part of the more inclusive society we are trying to build. No one is good at everything. It's more productive to identify and nurture a person's strength," she added.

Pathlight School has been given exclusive rights by SPH to produce reprints and merchandise from Mr Wiltshire's artwork to raise funds for its autism resource centre.

Limited edition replicas of his Singapore art will also be sold to raise funds for this year's President's Challenge, while autographed T- shirts are being sold by SPH at $150 each. Interested buyers can find out more by e-mailing sphcorp@sph.com.sg

SPH presents birthday sketch to Singapore
By Samantha Boh, The Straits Times, 10 Sep 2014

SINGAPORE Press Holdings (SPH) yesterday presented the nation with its first 50th birthday gift from a company: a drawing of Singapore's skyline done from memory by autistic savant Stephen Wiltshire.

SPH chairman Lee Boon Yang presented the 4m by 1m artwork to President Tony Tan Keng Yam at the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Singapore City Gallery, where it will remain on display for public viewing.

Post by Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth - MCCY.

The panorama was drawn by Mr Wiltshire over five days in July. The public event, called See The Big Picture, attracted more than 150,000 visitors. The work was commissioned by SPH as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations.

Also present at the ribbon- cutting ceremony yesterday were URA chairman Peter Ho, Central Singapore District mayor Denise Phua and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong.

SPH has given the merchandising rights for the drawing to Pathlight School, which has produced postcards, lacquerware and notebooks that bear the image. Products went on sale at the school's Pathlight Mall yesterday, with all net proceeds going to the Autism Resource Centre.

Dr Tan will also sign limited editions of reprints to raise funds for this year's President's Challenge.

"SPH is pleased to have been able to commission Stephen Wiltshire to draw Singapore's skyline as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations and to bring the Big Picture to all Singaporeans," said Dr Lee. "As an active corporate citizen, we are glad that we are able to take this opportunity to also raise funds for several charitable causes."

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Zoom in on Stephen Wiltshire's Singapore