Power-washing artist flooded with support, business inquiries after SMRT removes work in Mountbatten
Wong Man Shun
The Straits Times
June 8, 2026
In the days after SMRT erased his power-washing artwork in Mountbatten, Marcus Pang has been flooded with messages expressing support and offers of collaboration and commissions.
“I have not gone too far in finalising collaborations yet because my Instagram, my e-mail, even my WhatsApp is in total chaos. I am still filtering them,” the 24-year-old power-washing artist told The Straits Times on June 8.
Pang, who runs the power-washing art company Gazing Power Wash full-time, recently made headlines after a work of art he created near Mountbatten MRT station was removed by SMRT.
Since the incident went viral on June 5, he has received about 20 business inquiries, compared with one inquiry every week or two before the incident.
When asked for his reaction to the white-washing incident, Pang told ST: “I was upset. I stood there for a good five minutes thinking about what to do next.”
What followed was his June 5 Instagram post, which drew an outpouring of support from netizens and companies and the attention of MPs like Mountbatten SMC’s Gho Sze Kee, Jalan Besar GRC’s Shawn Loh and Sengkang GRC’s Jamus Lim.
One of the commenters was SMRT, which said: “We’d love to chat about collaborating on something with a longer run.”
Pang said SMRT told him in a direct message on June 6 to e-mail its customer service e-mail address but he has not done so because he is trying to organise his inboxes.
He began power washing as a “side hustle” in 2023 while he was a full-time national serviceman to support his family but stopped after he was discovered to be moonlighting.
To maintain his power-washing skills and use rainwater collected by his family, Pang used a pressure washer to clean the driveway of his family’s Haig Road house in December 2023.
Upon discovering that there was not enough rainwater to clean the entire driveway, Pang decided instead to stamp a festive greeting – “Merry Christmas”.
It was from this episode that his first foray into art began, Pang told ST, as he experimented creating other patterns and images with his pressure washer.
“I had never pursued anything artistic before,” Pang, a keen athlete who holds a Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science from Republic Polytechnic, said.
“But when I saw that a power washer doesn’t need to be used just for cleaning and it can also create art, that was when I started to teach myself.”
The triathlete considers art that integrates play with visual elements as his most impactful effort.
#AlleywaySnakes is a sprawling 20m by 3m game of snakes and ladders which he etched onto the alley behind Joo Chiat Community Club.
It was his winning submission for a hackathon organised by the People’s Association in February to address how underused spaces can be transformed into places people will use.
“Power-washing art can be used for play too,” he said. “When you play, it’s not just about visual enjoyment. You make memories in places which previously meant nothing to anyone.”
Pang hopes to expand his “canvas” beyond alleyways.
“Singapore likes to be the best in a few things – airports and universities being among them – so I hope art is one of them,” said Pang, adding that he hopes to put Singapore on the world map with his power-washing art.
“I am thankful that I have a community that appreciates what I do.”
He admitted that some netizens have called him entitled, but he said: “Ultimately, I do this as a way to express my love for the community. You cannot please everyone.”
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