CNY yarn toppers stolen at Fusionopolis 1
The kindness of a group of yarn-knitting street artists was taken for granted when their artwork was stolen at one-north on Saturday.
Organiser Mona Cheah and her team of volunteers from Yarn Bombing Singapore had spent weeks creating 16 yarn toppers to decorate the bollards of a taxi stand at Fusionopolis 1, with the approval of JTC Corporation.
One day after decorating the taxi stand, she said security alerted her team that nine of the yarn toppers had been stolen.
The team filed a police report on Sunday.
Ms Cheah, one of the co-founders of the volunteer network, told The New Paper: "It's Chinese New Year and we wanted to encourage people and cheer them up. Very few people have seen yarn done this way and we hoped to make their day."
The yarn toppers were Chinese New Year-themed. Volunteers crocheted festive icons such as koi, rats, pineapple, radish, and Mandarin oranges.
Ms Cheah, who is in her 60s, said volunteers could take up to one week to crochet each topper.
"Each art piece is unique and there are no duplicates. It's all made with love," she said.
The volunteer network operates by reaching out to yarn enthusiasts willing to contribute their talents. Around nine volunteers helped to create and install the yarn toppers at Fusionopolis 1, said Ms Cheah.
Many projects involve placing their works as decorations in public areas.
The group has organised yarn jams and installations to support community events since 2014.
FIRST TIME
Last year, the volunteers and other enthusiasts crocheted corals and fishes to promote marine conservation at the Singapore Maker Extravaganza.
Ms Cheah said this was the first time the volunteer network had encountered theft.
Despite losing their artwork, Ms Cheah said she did not see a need for greater security in the future.
She said: "We want to believe in the goodness of people. We believe people can admire them... but if not, do return the toppers to us." "
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