From swampy fishing village to shining metropolis

In reference to the astounding development of Singapore, a popular phrase often used is “from swampy fishing village to shining metropolis.” To pay homage to Singapore’s humble beginning I have designed a simple T-shirt in white on black.

The idea came as I was sitting in a coffeeshop watching the world go by. I did a quick sketch and put it away for a while.

With time on my hands I got to taking the concept to finished art featuring a silhouette of a village on stllts with palm trees and a boat. Font used evokes the swashbucking spirit of the era. 

It's now on Zazzle.com with the following descriptions:

The “Singapore/1819” T-shirt

The year is 1819. Overachiever Sir Stamford Raffles, an official of the East India Company scouting for a place to challenge the monopoly of the spice trade under the Dutch, stumbles upon a swampy village where islanders eke out an idyllic living fishing in the pristine waters. Raffles establishes a duty-free trading post that, under successive waves of immigrants, grows into a bastion of the British Empire, and eventually becoming the shining metropolis it is today. The design on this product pays homage to the humble beginning of the island state, often referred to as a fishing village, but now a vibrant playground of the rich and famous. 

Above: Model image © Zazzle.com

Check it out here.