Merry Christmas and a Jolly New Year

Our dear Masak readers,

we hope this letter reaches you as you are winding down, resting and having a good time with your loved ones! Aside from the occasional chilly weather from the monsoon rain, we have been observing lots of tiny berries scattered on walking paths, making dark purple polka-dot stains that blend quite well.

These stains are made by the small berry-looking fruits from a fragrant shrub; the berries and leaves give light floral, peppery, and sweet notes when crushed.

If you are living in Singapore, there’s a very high chance that you have passed by one of these shrubs, called the Kelat oil / Red lip / Syzigium myrtifolium (?). This plant is often found planted along neighbourhood estates flats, carparks and neighbourhood parks around Singapore.

The young leaves of the tree are usually distinctively flushed red or light pink, and are much more tender than the older ones. Though we have not yet tried, the young leaves are said to impart a slightly sour taste when cooked. Perhaps something we would explore when the opportunity arises!

Similarly, we noticed numerous bright blue spots much further away from the park, dotting the surface of a freshly-laid white concrete barrier. We initially thought it was due to fallen fruits from this tree, but then realised that there were no kelat trees around the area. You can imagine the slight horror we felt when we realised we had been sticking our noses into the droppings of birds who had snacked on the fruits…

Having noted the third-party gastronomic experience from these birds, we are curious to know more of the birds that enjoy the seasonal kelat fruits. We are definitely keen to brew a batch of pigments with these fruits, but probably in the new year after making time for some rest.

Bird pooping aside, we have been super grateful for all the collaborations this year together with like-minded friends and organizations, especially towards the end of this year.

With the help of peers who supported through sharing with their friends and purchased palettes / artworks, we managed to raise a total of $3,130 as part of a fundraiser for Ground-Up Initiative, a non-profit organization in Singapore that has been doing much ground work to rebuild a vibrant community space for people to reconnect with land. However, Shirin still has one more artwork left for this fundraiser! Please consider supporting GUI’s move if you can! Please read her story behind this artwork below:

In the spirit of setting new intentions in 2026, we are hoping to re-focus on our core practice, to revisit various old sites where we first started, perhaps rekindling some of that wild-ness that began this whole journey together with you all.

We also hope to host more people in our studio, with a more consistent schedule that will hopefully allow people to plan forward (we hear you!).

One of these ideas is “Talk Plant to Me”, a programme series we have been brewing in our minds for a while. It will begin next year, where we invite you to learn deeper through making, with one plant at a time. Some of these sessions will be held in our home studio (like the one in January) and others will be held at various outdoor sites to be confirmed!

Upcoming:

Talk Plant to Me (with Morus alba)
A new studio series where we learn through making, one plant at a time.

31 January 2026
1030am to 1230pm
At Wild Dot home studio / semi-outdoor session

More details on our eventbrite page here.

Thank you all for being a part of this journey with us through our (almost) monthly newsletter now. We are truly grateful to have a cozy and slowly growing audience here in this quieter part of the interwebs.

Happy holidays and wishing you all good rest and much lovely times with your loved ones.

Best wishes,

Liz and Shirin