Fulfilment through art

When seniors at Apex Day Rehabilitation Centre for Elderly were first asked to do art, they were hesitant. Many of them shared that they had never gone to school, and didn’t even know how to write their names.

But after working on “CONNECTIONS” – a mural design project – these seniors found that they enjoyed doing art. They shared that they also felt fulfilled and more confident after completing the mural.

The project, which began in October 2017, aimed to show how everyone is able to contribute to the “big picture”.

The seniors were split into small groups of three or four to encourage socialisation. In these groups, they worked on their own drawings, which were later added to the mural. During the process, they talked about their homes and past lives. Over time, they shared their stories more often and got to know one another better.

An art therapist was present to support the seniors in the art-making process. The seniors were assured that they had a safe environment to share their stories. They also understood that the aim was not to make “good art”, but to spend time meaningfully. Together, they realised that there is a lot more they can still do in spite of their age.

In the mural, seniors added drawings of places that were close to their hearts. Their drawings featured sights from their kampong days, as well as modern day life. 18 seniors were involved in the project over nine weeks.

Photo(s) credit: Apex Day Rehabilitation Centre for Elderly