2016 Special Edition National Day ez-link cards portray youthful artistry and aspirations

SINGAPORE, 22
July 2016 – EZ-Link Pte Ltd,
Singapore’s largest issuer of CEPAS-compliant cards, launched a set of three
2016 Special Edition National Day ez-link cards featuring the works of young
artists, MaryAnn Loo, Lee Xin Li and oodon from Noise Singapore, to celebrate
National Day 2016. The fruit of collaboration with the National Arts Council
(NAC), the artworks feature unique portrayals of Singapore’s most famous icons
and encapsulate the pride of the younger generation towards Singapore’s past,
present and future.

Skilled in
illustrative style, MaryAnn drew inspiration from Singapore’s beloved
world-famous icon, the Merlion. Born in 1964 as the symbol for Singapore’s
tourism industry, the Merlion depicted in the artwork is the most well-known
amongst the five iconic Merlion statues around the island. With the Marina Bay
Sands and ArtScience Museum as its backdrop, the artwork bridges Singapore’s
historic past with its present. The colourful and bright sky represents
luminous possibilities in the pursuit of creativity and innovation in support
of the nation’s advancement towards a brighter and greater future.

Inspired by his fond
memories of Balestier Road, Xin Li illustrated one of the most iconic places in
Singapore including its food, shophouses and history. Reminiscing about his
school days at Balestier Hill Secondary School, the artwork depicts a closely-knitted,
multi-racial community interwoven with other Singaporean emblems such as the
Singapore skyline, MRT and National Servicemen.

Showcasing Singapore’s
iconic landscape and mascots in a fun and light-hearted way, oodon’s card
design follows a lion mascot dressed in the Merlion outfit going on an
adventure to rediscover the new and modern Singapore landscape. New friends are
made along the way, portrayed by other Singapore icons such the Crimson Sunbird
and the mascot for the Public Utilities Board (PUB), Water Wally. The landscape
and buildings symbolise Singapore’s progress through time, from the long
existing control tower of Changi Airport to the modern Supertrees of Gardens by
the Bay. In addition, Singapore is known for being a clean and green country,
and sunny all year round, hence the inclusion of the sun and greenery in the
design.

“Singapore’s 51st birthday is symbolic of its first step beyond 50 years of
success, towards a new future to be defined by our younger generation. To
commemorate this momentous occasion, EZ-Link had set out to engage youth
artists and inspire their passion for the nation in collaboration with the
National Arts Council through Noise Singapore. They have responded with
stunning masterpieces which when reproduced onto the ez-link card, a Singapore
emblem on its own, present to the public a one-of-its-kind series both in
significance and design,” said Mr Nicholas Lee, Chief Executive Officer,
EZ-Link Pte Ltd.

“This National Day, in
an exciting partnership with EZ-Link, three young talents from Noise Singapore
– oodon, Lee Xin Li and MaryAnn Loo – have expressed their national pride
through artistic interpretations of distinctive Singapore icons. We hope that
each of these specially commissioned ez-link cards, featuring our endearing
Merlion and stunning cityscape, inspires the imagination and stirs a sense of
pride in our collective journey as Singaporeans,” said Ms Aruna Johnson, Deputy
Director, Arts & Youth, National Arts Council.

Exclusively packaged
as a limited collectible, the 2016 Special Edition National Day ez-link card
set will be available at $18 per set on My EZ-Link Online Shop (www.myezlink.com.sg)
from 1st August 2016 onwards. Each card set comes with a commemorative
folder featuring the young artists and their inspiration for the card design.

Individual cards will
be progressively made available at $12 (with $7 load value) at TransitLink
Ticket Offices from National Day onwards on a while stocks last basis.

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