She's strong, she's spirited, and she's on a mission to change Singapore's art scene: here are five reasons why Sukki Singapora is doing feminism and women proud
She may sport rainbow-hued hair and bedazzled corsets with a 17.5-inch waist, but don’t let Sukki Singapora’s pinup girl demeanour fool you – this woman is one helluva tough cookie. At 26, she has already made history as Singapore’s first-ever burlesque artist who successfully campaigned to legalise the risqué art form here in 2015. Not bad for a self-professed dork who first donned her showgirl sequins and began her trailblazing trajectory into burlesque a mere five years ago.
But she’s not done yet – not by a long shot. Strong, spunky, and spirited, Sukki is on a mission to bring burlesque to the forefront of the local and international arts scene and, naturally, inspire other women while she’s at it. So in light of International Women’s Day, we’re shining the spotlight on Sukki Singapora with five reasons why she’s the next feminist icon.
She’s a history-making powerhouse
“It broke my heart when I found out that burlesque wasn’t legal in Singapore, so I made it my personal mission and responsibility to change that. I spent nearly five years doing everything I could do to raise awareness for my cause: campaigning, starting the Singapore Burlesque Society, and even risked getting arrested for conducting underground burlesque workshops. Things started looking up when I was shortlisted in UK’s 50 Asian Women of Achievement Awards in 2013, and was one of 12 women chosen by Facebook to represent International Women’s Day last year. From there, word really spread and by 31 January 2015, I had finally did it: burlesque was officially legalised in Singapore.”
She’s changing the way people think about burlesque
“I like to believe that misconceptions about burlesque are slowly being dispelled, thanks to the last five years I’ve spent raising awareness in Singapore and around Asia.
Burlesque is about female sensuality – not hyper sexuality – and is a beautiful art form that originated from16th century Italian theatre. Most importantly, burlesque is all about freedom of expression. No matter what your gender or sexuality may be, everyone should have the right to express themselves without being repressed or judged.”
She believes in supporting other women
“I’m lucky to have an amazing team of women working with me. I have chosen to surround myself with strong, talented ladies because that’s the spirit of burlesque. Unlike other industries, which can be very b*tchy and competitive, burlesque is all about women helping and supporting each other towards the goal of sisterhood.”
She’s inspired by other strong women who share her art
My biggest role model is Barbara Yung, the Chinese burlesque legend from San Francisco in the 1940s. I look up to her because she’s one hell of a woman: it has been difficult for me as an Asian artist in this day and age, so you can imagine how much harder it was for her back then! Another woman I’m inspired by is Malaysian cabaret dancer, Rose Chan – she’s just so damn spunky.
She has big plans for the future
“Let’s put it this way: you’ll definitely be seeing a lot more of me in the future! I have plenty up my sleeve, including an upcoming dress line with a local fashion retailer and exciting burlesque shows in the pipeline.
I can’t imagine where I’ll be five years from now. But I do hope to be at the forefront of Singapore’s arts scene, inspiring a new generation of local artists –especially female burlesque artists of colour. I’m fighting the cause, one sequin at a time!”