Two Peas in a Pod

Putting on the strokes to joyful murals and works of art, artist collective Ripple Root shares how, after nearly 10 years of working together, its vision remains the same, if not stronger

- Hashirin Nurin Hashimi

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.