The Song of Life

A set of three murals based on childhood songs from artist Ronald Apriyan’s early years span the staircase landings in SAM at 8Q. These nursery rhymes recall for him beautiful memories, memories that he hopes his children will also have through passing these songs on.

Ronald views such timeless songs as a means of transmission of hopes and prayers from parents to their children, especially in a time of change. The songs address different stages of a child’s development, with these stages reflected chronologically in the paintings from the first landing to the third.

Collectively, the vibrant murals celebrate the joy of childhood innocence – a time of spontaneous curiosity and imagination. Even as the adorable surreal characters are created to appeal to children, it is also imagined that the rich detail and imagery may reawaken a sense of wonder in adults.