Contemporary artist
It was from the sticker lady saga that I saw with my own eyes what our people can band together to do. It's also the reason why I made a promise that the art I make is meant for the people.
Tell us your story, how did you get here?
I started out learning about the creative community and Singapore at large when I founded the now-defunct RCGNTN, an online publication platforming Singaporean-based talent. With this, I was exposed to street culture and the vibrant scenes in Singapore. Their stories inspired me to create interventions in public spaces through street art.
Starting out with stickers on traffic light buttons to spray-painted roads, this eventually led to my arrest in 2012 and an identity crisis of sorts dealing with unexpected media attention. It was here, with the encouragement of the graffiti crew I was in (RSCLS), that I decided to pursue art full-time and find out what it means to be an artist.
Armed with little to no art-making skills, I took a two-year sabbatical after the case concluded to learn more about other mediums and I fell deeper in love with the process of creating. Fast forward 10 years: this is the longest job I’ve held. From painting large scale murals to digital illustrations and sculpting, I’ve worked with clients such as Nike, G-Shock, and Riot Games, and showcased my work internationally and locally.
What impact have you made in Singapore?
The most notable impact I’m aware of (that I often get reminded about) is the “Sticker Lady” saga of 2012. I was interested in dissecting and identifying the culture and identity of our young cityscape. That led to the creation of a series of street interventions to inject some soul into our progressively homogenous cityscape.
I created stickers based on colloquialism commenting on Singaporean quirks like “Press Once Can Already” and pasted them on traffic lights all over Singapore, effectively taking backspaces to make them feel relatable and introduce a little humour into the everyday. This was done anonymously over a span of a year. It went viral on social media and was covered in local newspapers.
Later on, I decided to go bigger and spray-painted roads in the CBD area with the colloquial text “My Grandfather Road”. A week later, I wheat-pasted LKY-themed, OBEY-inspired posters titled “LIMPEH” all over the central parts of Singapore.
This led to my arrest two weeks later. My anonymity was shed through countless media in both physical publications and online. The silver lining of this whole saga was the support from so many Singaporeans that truly moved me – from petitions to letters from the public to fundraisers that helped pay off my dues.
Town halls were held to talk about the case in relation to freedom of expression together with dialogues and essays on the legality of street art versus vandalism. This led to a ripple effect in the local street art and graffiti community, as organisations started to get more interested in public art.
What does 2022 look like for you?
The last few years have been rather hectic in a good way, having worked with multiple collaborators and developing and refining my visual style with each project. This year, with the new studio space, I’d like to focus more on my personal art practice and create a larger studio work for myself, something I’ve not prioritised for my own mental wellbeing.
There’ll be more shows lined up, more art spanning across different mediums, and basically reconnecting with myself through the process of creation. There’ll be a new body of work on exploration and escapism (together with a special series created just for my fiancee), which I’ll debut at my solo show. And a special 10-year “arrest anniversary” drop of the LIMPEH works mid-year. On a personal note, this is the year we finally get married! Fingers crossed Covid restrictions won’t delay it again, gah!
What do you love most about Singapore?
As cheesy as it sounds, I love the people most. It was from the sticker lady saga that I saw with my own eyes what our people can band together to do. It’s also the reason why I made a promise that the art I make is meant for the people. There’s so much we as a people are capable of, and it’s from them that I’ve drawn so much inspiration. There’s so much to learn every day and I hope to share this for as long as I can.
Who is your Local Legend, and why?
There are so many people I respect – too many to name. But I’d like to reserve this slot for all those on the medical frontline for their sacrifice during this pandemic. I also have deep respect for the women in my life for whom I’m so grateful to be around, as they greatly informed my worldview growing up in this patriarchal world.