Phua Kin Yong had three of his designs chosen for the cards

This year, SPD will be marketing the ‘Back to Basics 2013/14’ series of greeting cards which consists of 18 Christmas and Lunar New Year cards, specially selected to reflect the true spirit of these joyous festivals. Some of the designs are enhanced from original artworks by our very own talented clients from the SPD Day Activity Centre.

‘Digital artist’ Phua Kin Yong, 23, was ecstatic when he found out that three of his digital artwork had been selected as card designs.

Kin Yong was diagnosed with pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN), a rare degenerative disease of the brain which affects his movements and speech. Kin Yong has fair head control and hand functions but has poor trunk and pelvic control. Having always enjoyed using the computer, Kin Yong used Microsoft Paint to create the designs. ‘Joyous Sparks’ from the Lunar New Year range took him almost two weeks to complete, the longest he had ever taken to create a design.

Inspiring the design and title of the card ‘Thumb Tree’, 29-year-old Lokman Nur Hakim bin Ithnin’s thumb-painted artwork is a brilliant collage of different shades of green which forms a Christmas tree. Lokman, who was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegia since young, was also part of a group of nine clients who created a water-colour collage which became the very cheery ‘Starry Brilliance’ Christmas card.

Kin Yong was diagnosed with pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN), a rare degenerative disease of the brain which affects his movements and speech. Kin Yong has fair head control and hand functions but has poor trunk and pelvic control. Having always enjoyed using the computer, Kin Yong used Microsoft Paint to create the designs. ‘Joyous Sparks’ from the Lunar New Year range took him almost two weeks to complete, the longest he had ever taken to create a design.

Inspiring the design and title of the card ‘Thumb Tree’, 29-year-old Lokman Nur Hakim bin Ithnin’s thumb-painted artwork is a brilliant collage of different shades of green which forms a Christmas tree. Lokman, who was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegia since young, was also part of a group of nine clients who created a water-colour collage which became the very cheery ‘Starry Brilliance’ Christmas card.

Kin Yong and Lokman are not professional designers or artists but their creative minds and willingness to try became the inspiration for some of the card designs. We look forward to your support towards this can-do spirit through the ‘Back to Basics 2013/14’ greeting cards project. Find out more at http://www.ae.org.sg/greetingcards/home/index.php or call 6579 0742 now.