Mama Shop at Lorong Stangee

Once a cornerstone of community life in Singapore throughout the 20th century, the mama shop ("mama" means uncle or elder in Tamil) was more than just a convenience store-it was a trusted fixture in the neighbourhood's social fabric.

Here, a moment from the late 1970s is captured a modest mama shop once stood at this very spot. Seated beside his makeshift stall, the shopkeeper tends to his wares: newspapers, magazines, snacks and household essentials. At day's end, the wooden planks would be rearranged into a bed for the shopkeeper to sleep on, ready to reopen at dawn.

The mural invites viewers into a familiar past - where transactions came with conversation, and a child's coin could buy both candy and a smile. It depicts a typical scene from when such provision shops thrived in enclaves like Katong-Joo Chiat.

By the late 1990s, the rise of supermarkets and chain stores led to the gradual decline of these shops. Yet, the memory of the mama shop lives on - not just as a place of trade, but as a neighbourhood anchor that offered credit, camaraderie, and continuity.

This mural stands as a tribute to the quiet legacy of the mama shop, inviting passersby to reflect on a slower, more personal rhythm of life that once shaped these streets.

Alvin Mark Tan
2025
Aerosol and weather-resistant acrylic paint

Watch the mural-making process here:

This Call for Collaboration project is supported by Katong Culture and part of the Heritage Activation Nodes initiative.