Sidewalk Barber

This must surely be one of the last Singapore sidewalk barbers. I came across him and his customer near the Singapore River, at the time a very rundown and practically abandoned area of warehouses and old, traditional Chinese shop-houses with their covered walk-ways, the so-called "5-foot-ways". And on one of these walk-ways this guy had set up shop, with an old barber's chair, and a big wooden box (for his tools, I suppose) fixed to the wall. This scene was so totally typical of the Singapore of yesteryear that I just had to paint these blokes.
Nowadays, this entire area around the Singapore River has been spruced-up, the old buildings have been lovingly conserved and renovated and turned into bars, restaurants, boutiques etc. and, especially in the evening, the place is jumping!

Watercolor on Arches 300g cold-press
50 x 38 cm