SINGAPORE – In the days after SMRT erased his power-washing artwork in Mountbatten, Marcus Pang has been flooded with messages expressing support and offers of collaboration and commissions.
“I 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,” the 24-year-old power-washing artist told The Straits Times on June 8.
Pang, who runs the power-washing art company Gazing Power Wash full-time, recently made headlines after an artwork he created near Mountbatten MRT station was removed by SMRT.
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.
When asked for his reaction to the white-washing incident, Pang told ST: “I was upset. I stood there for a good five minutes thinking about what to do next.”
What followed was his June 5 Instagram post, which then sparked an outpouring of support from netizens, companies and drew the attention of MPs like Mountbatten SMC MP Gho Sze Kee, Jalan Besar GRC MP Shawn Loh and Sengkang GRC MP Jamus Lim.
One of the commenters was SMRT, which said: “We’d love to chat about collaborating on something with a longer run.”
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.
He began power washing as a “side hustle” in 2023 while he was a full-time national serviceman to support his family but stopped after he was discovered to be moonlighting.
In a bid to maintain his power-washing skills and use rainwater collected by his family, Pang used the pressure washer to clean the driveway of his family’s Haig Road house in December 2023.
Upon discovering that there was insufficient rainwater to clean the entire driveway, Pang decided instead to stamp a festive greeting – “Merry Christmas”.
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.
Marcus Pang began power washing as a “side hustle” in 2023.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM GAZING_MARCUS/INSTAGRAM
“I had never pursued anything artistic before,” Pang, a keen athlete who holds a diploma in pharmaceutical science from Republic Polytechnic, said. “But when I saw that a power washer doesn’t need to be used just for cleaning and it can also create art, that’s when I started to teach myself.”
The triathlete considers an artwork that integrated play with its visual elements as his most impactful effort.
#AlleywaySnakes is a sprawling 20m by 3m game of snakes and ladders which he etched into the alley behind Joo Chiat Community Club.
It was his winning submission for a hackathon organised by the People’s Association in February, which aimed to address the question of how underused spaces can be transformed into places people will use.
“Power-washing art can be used for play too,” he said. “When you play, it’s not just about visual enjoyment. You make memories in places which previously meant nothing to anyone.”
Pang hopes to expand his “canvas” beyond alleyways.
“Singapore likes to be the best in a few things – airports and universities being among them – so I hope art is one of them,” said Pang, adding that he hopes to put Singapore on the world map with his power-washing art.
“I am thankful that I have a community who appreciate what I do.”
He admitted that some netizens have called him entitled, but he said: “Ultimately, I do this as a way to express my love for the community. You cannot please everyone.”
