Project 3
Inequality
Half-half masks that make different starting points visible, through craft and lived experiences shared by 3Pumpkins.
Year
2020
Location
Singapore
Beneficiary
3Pumpkins / Tak Takut Kids Club
Different starting points
Meritocracy can make outcomes feel individual, but resources, networks, time, language, and family circumstances shape what becomes possible. This project uses masks split into two halves to make unequal starting points visible in a form that feels immediate and wearable.
Lived stories
3Pumpkins shared glimpses of children’s lived experiences, grounding the concept in real starting points rather than abstraction.
Aspiration
A final piece imagines a future where different beginnings do not prevent people from flourishing.
What inequality looks like
The project holds together reading, debate, craft, and real community stories. It tries to make inequality less distant by giving it a visible shape — one that can be worn, discussed, and questioned.
Story 1
“Tak Takut Kids Club keeps the children away from depression and the problems we have at home and in school. The children love coming here to see our friends. I treat everyone here like my family.” CL, 12-years old.
View story 1 on Instagram
Story 2
10-year-old A takes care of her three younger sisters and brother while her mother copes with other household chores. A often has to complete her schoolwork while attending to her sibilings’ requests. Even when there are classes provided for free, it is usually not possible for A to attend due to the parental roles she has to play.
View story 2 on Instagram
Story 3
“I thought I was stupid, because I still cannot read but my friends can. The teacher at TTKC told me it is because I started learning late but I can catch up. Now I can tell friends who make fun of me that I am not stupid.” C, 9 years old.
View story 3 on Instagram
Story 4
“我们的爸爸妈妈不会说英语。在学校，所有的课都是用英语教的，所以我们跟不上。” A&F, 12-years old and 8 years-old.
.
(Our parents do not speak English. In school, everything is taught in English and it’s hard for us to catch up.)
View story 4 on Instagram
Aspirational piece
The closing piece imagines a society where different starting points are acknowledged and supported, so people are not defined by circumstances they did not choose.
Who gets to flourish?
The project does not offer a policy answer. It offers a visual reminder: when people begin from different places, fairness requires more than treating every path as if it started at the same line.
Proceeds from the sale of the masks were donated to 3Pumpkin's Tak Takut Kids Club programme.