The one in the middle was designed by singer JJ Lin! But it didn’t make it into my Top 10.
I’ve read so much about the Mickey Go Local exhibition at Raffles City that I simply had to pop by and have a look. There are apparently some 90 Mickey Mouse figurines on display. And they’re special because they were all dressed up by Singaporeans from all walks of life – from President Halimah Yacob to singers JJ Lin and Nathan Hartono, to regular folks like you and me (I think I saw some designed by secretaries, medics, etc). If you’re wondering why it’s 90 figurines when we’re only celebrating Singapore’s 53rd birthday this year, it’s because Mickey is 90 lah. While some of the 90 ‘designers’ went all out in decking the 60cm-tall blank Mickey figurines they received, others painted parts of (or all of) Mickey in one color and called it a day. One even twirled celluloid film around blank Mickey and called it a wrap. Alamak! How can?! So this blogpost is to celebrate those 10 ‘designers’ who showed real effort, creativity and skill in putting together Mickey figurines that are definitely worth bidding for in an auction.
Mickey by Business Director, Henry Liew
This is Mickey after my own heart. There’s Pandan cake in his right hand, Pandan Cheese Rolls for ears, an Ondeh Ondeh nose, Sagu Kueh shoes, etc. This isn’t the only Mickey with an ondeh nose (who copy who ah?!) but this version looks delicious. I like.
Mickey by Celebrity, Nick Shen Wei Jun. Hard to snap a good pic of this Mickey without getting a hand or ear of another Mickey in the shot. Haiyah! Placement, guys, placement!
Chinese opera has been a big part of Nick’s life and his passion for preserving this Chinese traditional art is commendable. Top marks for that spirit!
Mickey by Li Nanxing
Actor Li Nanxing’s Mickey is not the only one at the exhibition holding sticks of faux satay. But his looks the most realistic. I think I read somewhere that the actor cut up pieces of sponge and burnt them to achieve this satay look. Top marks for effort, ok? Also, this Mickey, like a few others, is donning the ‘Good Morning, Singapore’ towel. But this one looks neat and clean.
Mickey by Artist, Melissa Tan
It could easily have turned out cat-astrophic if attempted by anyone else. But because it’s the work of artist, Melissa Tan, it looks fabulous. Should be a piece any cat lover would treasure. I like how there’s a white cat in the pupil of Mickey’s left eye. 
More importantly, the cats all have tipped left ears – the tips of the left ears have been clipped to indicate that the cats have been sterilised, as is common among community cats in Singapore.
Mickey by Creative Director, Lester Lim
The inspiration behind this piece was the Grand Prix and Lester was aiming for a “retro vibed aesthetic”. The creativity of this Mickey figurine design is definitely miles ahead of many others.
Mickey by Dennis Chew
This Mickey is every driver’s nightmare! The parking attendant’s (or “summon auntie”) job is definitely one that’s been phased out (quite rapidly) with cashcard parking everywhere. It’s a good time to remember the cute auntie who often put fear in people’s hearts.
Mickey by Artist, Zi Qi
It’s almost unfair to pit celebrities and normal folks against actual artists, no? In any case, this is artist Zi Qi’s contribution to the exhibition – Mickey as an ice cream. Should be placed next to the ice cream booth in Disneyland, or even Universal Studios Singapore! It’s that pretty!
Mickey by Actor/Singer, Gina Tan
This blinged-out Mickey is supposed to have “elements of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian”. So, go figure! I think that’s a songkok, and there are gold bangles, and what else? It’s too dazzling and my eyes hurt. And oh! It’s placed, unfortunately, next to an escalator so itchy fingers have already removed some of the sequins on Mickey’s left shoe. Pity!
Mickey by Student, Janice Ling Li Ying
I like the stars on Mickey’s cheeks. And that Merlion theme – it’s a must-have, no? And those YouTube and Instagram logos on Mickey’s hand? I’m not sure. I wish I can feel it in my bones. I’m guessing social media has put information within easy reach.
Mickey by Actor, James Seah
“Phua Chu Kang Mickey. Best in Singapore and the whole wide world” reads the caption. This Mickey will definitely bring a smile to any Singaporean’s face. I like that James included the obiang gold chains.
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So there you go! My Top 10 Best Dressed Mickey Mouse Figurines list. I do actually have one Mickey on my Worst Dressed list. I’ve been contemplating whether I should share a picture of it (the ‘artist’ might get upset, right?). But I guess art and especially “fashion sense” is highly subjective. So… *deep breath*, here we go…
On Mickey’s ears are the characters that form the word for ‘Xinyao’ – “a genre of songs that is unique to Singapore. It is a contemporary Mandarin vocal genre that emerged and rise to fame in Singapore between late 1970s to 1980s” according to Wikipedia. Then there are names of some singer-songwriters repeated here and there and titles of songs.
At first glance, I thought someone had put some kind of potent curse on Mickey. What with the red between and above his eyes. Really unfortunate, I think.
I’ll be honest. I actually wondered (hopefully not out loud) why this Mickey was allowed to be placed in this exhibition. It’s as non-inclusive as one can get – how will the Malays, Indians, Eurasians, and many others e.g. tourists know what this is all about? Why not just write “O$P$” in red across Mickey’s forehead? More ‘local’ and just about anyone who has lived here for some time will know what it represents. 
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I do think that the gift store at Raffles City should sell a miniature of this Mickey figurine so people who visit the exhibition can purchase one and decorate it. I think I’ll be happy to shell out S$50 or more for one. And then upload a picture of it on IG to take part in Raffles City’s contest. Wouldn’t that be more meaningful than getting cushions and tshirts and water bottles? That said, I did get some wristlets and pouches!
That’s all from me. Do you have a favorite Mickey figurine from the exhibition? I’m curious about how much you’ll pay for it in an auction!