{"id":524421,"date":"2026-06-08T10:57:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T10:57:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/524421\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T10:57:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T10:57:10","slug":"power-washing-artist-flooded-with-support-business-inquiries-after-smrt-removes-work-in-mountbatten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/524421\/","title":{"rendered":"Power-washing artist flooded with support, business inquiries after SMRT removes work in Mountbatten"},"content":{"rendered":"

SINGAPORE \u2013 In the days after SMRT erased his power-washing artwork in Mountbatten<\/a>, Marcus Pang has been flooded with messages expressing support and offers of collaboration and commissions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have not gone too far in finalising collaborations yet because my Instagram, my e-mail, even my WhatsApp is in total chaos. I am still filtering them,\u201d the 24-year-old power-washing artist told The Straits Times on June 8.<\/p>\n

Pang, who runs the power-washing art company Gazing Power Wash full-time, recently made headlines after a work of art he created near Mountbatten MRT station was removed by SMRT.<\/p>\n

Since the incident went viral on June 5, he has received about 20 business inquiries, compared with one inquiry every week or two before the incident.<\/p>\n

When asked for his reaction to the white-washing incident, Pang told ST: \u201cI was upset. I stood there for a good five minutes thinking about what to do next.\u201d<\/p>\n

What followed was his June 5 Instagram post, which drew an outpouring of support from netizens and companies and the attention of MPs like Mountbatten SMC\u2019s Gho Sze Kee, Jalan Besar GRC\u2019s Shawn Loh and Sengkang GRC\u2019s Jamus Lim.<\/p>\n

One of the commenters was SMRT, which said: \u201cWe\u2019d love to chat about collaborating on something with a longer run.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pang said SMRT told him in a direct message on June 6 to e-mail its customer service e-mail address but he has not done so because he is trying to organise his inboxes.<\/p>\n

He began power washing as a \u201cside hustle\u201d in 2023 while he was a full-time national serviceman to support his family but stopped after he was discovered to be moonlighting.<\/p>\n

To maintain his power-washing skills and use rainwater collected by his family, Pang used a pressure washer to clean the driveway of his family\u2019s Haig Road house in December 2023.<\/p>\n

Upon discovering that there was not enough rainwater to clean the entire driveway, Pang decided instead to stamp a festive greeting \u2013 \u201cMerry Christmas\u201d.<\/p>\n

It was from this episode that his first foray into art began, Pang told ST, as he experimented creating other patterns and images with his pressure washer.<\/p>\n

\"Marcus<\/p>\n

Marcus Pang began power washing as a \u201cside hustle\u201d in 2023.<\/p>\n

(PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM GAZING_MARCUS\/INSTAGRAM)<\/p>\n

\u201cI had never pursued anything artistic before,\u201d Pang, a keen athlete who holds a Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science from Republic Polytechnic, said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut when I saw that a power washer doesn\u2019t need to be used just for cleaning and it can also create art, that was when I started to teach myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

The triathlete considers art that integrates play with visual elements as his most impactful effort.<\/p>\n

#AlleywaySnakes is a sprawling 20m by 3m game of snakes and ladders which he etched onto the alley behind Joo Chiat Community Club.<\/p>\n

It was his winning submission for a hackathon organised by the People\u2019s Association in February to address how underused spaces can be transformed into places people will use.<\/p>\n

\u201cPower-washing art can be used for play too,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you play, it\u2019s not just about visual enjoyment. You make memories in places which previously meant nothing to anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pang hopes to expand his \u201ccanvas\u201d beyond alleyways.<\/p>\n

\u201cSingapore likes to be the best in a few things \u2013 airports and universities being among them \u2013 so I hope art is one of them,\u201d said Pang, adding that he hopes to put Singapore on the world map with his power-washing art.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am thankful that I have a community that appreciates what I do.\u201d He admitted that some netizens have called him entitled, but he said: \u201cUltimately, I do this as a way to express my love for the community. You cannot please everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Source: The Straits Times \u00a9 SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction<\/a><\/p>\n

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