Singaporean designer Mike Tay turns everyday heritage into contemporary prints

Singaporean print designer Mike Tay is transforming the nation's everyday heritage into contemporary art through his studio, Onlewo. His signature prints, which appear as elegant graphic patterns from a distance, reveal intricate details of familiar Singaporean life upon closer inspection. These designs incorporate elements such as Peranakan tiles, the Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid, HDB apartment block facades, and iconic landmarks, all woven into sophisticated homeware, fashion, and gifts.

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For me, a pattern is like a medium or a vehicle – to spark a conversation, evoke an uplifting mood, recall a memory, or simply bring a smile to someone’s face.

Tay, the creative force behind Onlewo, believes that "everything can be transformed into a pattern." He views patterns as a medium to "spark a conversation, evoke an uplifting mood, recall a memory, or simply bring a smile to someone’s face." The 50-something designer likens the process of creating a print to writing a book, enjoying the challenge of piecing together different elements while leaving room for surprise and discovery.

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I enjoy identifying and piecing together the different elements, while still leaving room for a little surprise. That is also what I hope my patterns can convey – a sense of discovery, connection and joy.

Onlewo, co-founded by Tay and his business partner Eugene Yip in 2015, emerged from Tay's curiosity and love for life. After a 15-year corporate career, Tay, a self-taught artist, pursued his passion for design, which began with an interest in photography and printmaking. He was always drawn to colours, stories, nature, people, and places, noticing details that often go unnoticed by others.

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Onlewo began with two things: Curiosity and a love for life. I’ve always been drawn to colours, stories, nature, people and places. Even before I became a designer, I found myself noticing details that many people would simply pass over.

His time living in Tiong Bahru, a neighborhood known for its conserved pre-war apartments, profoundly influenced his work. Surrounded by elements like spiral staircases, floral metal grilles, vintage cement tiles, and Art Deco architecture, Tay realized these everyday details held significant emotional weight and were integral to Singapore's collective identity. This realization became the cornerstone of Onlewo: creating products that celebrate Singapore's culture and capture the emotions associated with these familiar sights.

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When I moved into one of its conserved pre-war walk-up apartments, it felt as though I had stepped back into parts of my childhood. It wasn't simply nostalgia. It made me realise these everyday details carry memories, stories and emotions. They're part of our collective identity, yet we often stop noticing them because they're so familiar.