Singapore, 12 December 2022 – Organised by Arts House Limited (AHL), the Aliwal Urban Art Festival (AUAF) makes its return on 14 January 2023 for its seventh edition to showcase Singapore’s vibrant urban culture scene at the Aliwal Arts Centre (AAC). Taking place on the last weekend of Singapore Art Week 2023, the Festival will feature renowned local artists from different urban art practices in an exciting array of free activities such as live graffiti painting, music and dance performances, and a pop-up artists’ market in the heart of Kampong Gelam.
Presenting new canvases for collaboration
Collaborating for the first time, renowned visual artist and founder of RSCLS, ZERO will join hands with Yogyakarta based graffiti artist TUYULOVEME to refresh the iconic façade of the side alley wall at AAC with a new mural representing the artists’ response to each other’s unique practice. Passers-by will also be able to catch them in action along Aliwal Street in the lead-up to the Festival.
Moving into AAC, 12 prominent urban artists, ANTZ, BONY, Demster, nuriman, KILAS, PHATNOEZ, SAM LO, SPAZ, SPEAK CRYPTIC, TraseOne, TUYULOVEME, and Boon Baked will exercise their artistic prowess for FLIPSIDE, an exhibition where they are challenged to create in the tabula scalata format – presenting two images within a singular canvas. Audiences will actively participate in the work as they move in the space in order to see and absorb the work in its entirety. The physical movement of audiences and the existence of multiple images within a canvas and exhibition space invites visitors to reflect on the need for different and shifting perspectives in order for interaction and coexistence in an evolving urban environment.
Live presentations of urban art across different forms
The Festival will enliven the precinct with a day full of live urban art activities spanning visual arts, dance, and music. Witness graffiti artists paint the walls of AAC from start to finish in two Live Graffiti Painting showcases, giving audiences a peek into a graffiti artist’s process. Has.J will transform the back wall of AAC with his well-known geometrical compositions and experimental typography, while Titan Aerosol Crew, one of Singapore’s pioneer graffiti groups, will inspire audiences with their mural in Courtyard A.
For those looking to move and groove to urban dance and music, David Siow of Steady State Records will present a line-up of independent bands and artists of various music genres, from math rock band, woes, to feel-good R&B band, Astronauts, featuring Thai artist Lukpeach whom they have an upcoming collaboration with. Street dance duo ScRach MarcS rounds up the festivities by celebrating the roots of street dance through a block party - a final rendezvous of dance performances, exhibition battles, and getting everyone to join in the party and dance the night away.
Avenues to inspire creative conversations and interactions
Hear from SAM LO, SPEAKCRYPTIC, TraseOne, and SPAZ as they take the stage in the panel discussion, SEE YOU ON THE FLIPSIDE: Artist Talks moderated by ZERO and provide invaluable insight into their artistic process working on FLIPSIDE. The sharing will be exploring topics of interaction, identity and representation within and between communities while inviting audiences to join in and contribute to the discussion.
Complete the day by trying one’s hand at urban art and street culture activities and engage in in-depth conversations with artists, creatives and practitioners involved. From silkscreen printing and street art tours around Kampong Gelam to bike fixing and graffiti workshops, the pop-up Black Market curated by RSCLS will have something for everyone interested to learn something new from the street culture scene.
Sim Wan Hui, Director of Venue Programmes at Arts House Limited said, “Arts House Limited is excited to bring the creative community back together again for a fully in-person edition of Aliwal Urban Art Festival 2023. With a wide array of interactive activities lined up by our creative community, we hope that families and youth alike will come spend their Saturday with us to experience urban arts of different mediums and by various communities.”
Held in conjunction with Singapore Art Week 2023, the Aliwal Urban Art Festival is a celebration of the precinct’s rich and diverse urban arts scene, with free admission for the public. Arts House Limited works with its resident artists, art companies and precinct stakeholders to further develop a diverse arts scene in Singapore through collaborative partnerships and community engagement efforts.
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For more information on AUAF 2023, kindly visit https://artshouselimited.sg/aac-auaf-2023 or refer to the Annexes below:
- Annex A: Aliwal Urban Art Festival 2023 programme highlights
- Annex B: Artist Bios for FLIPSIDE Exhibition
Follow #AliwalUAF2023 on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AliwalArtsCentre/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliwalartscentre
For more information, please contact:
Emily Teo Senior Associate Tate Anzur M: +65 8790 4998 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Jessica Gunaseelan Associate Tate Anzur M: +65 8606 8121 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
About Arts House Limited
Arts House Limited (AHL) is a not-for-profit organisation committed to enriching lives through the arts. AHL is the cultural place manager of Singapore's Civic District. It manages two key national monuments - The Arts House, a multidisciplinary arts centre with a focus on literary programming, and the Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall, a heritage building that is home to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. It also runs performing arts space Drama Centre as well as three creative enclaves for artists, arts groups and creative businesses - the Goodman Arts Centre, Aliwal Arts Centre, and Stamford Arts Centre.
AHL organises the Singapore International Festival of Arts - an annual pinnacle performing arts festival; as well as the Singapore Writers Festival - a multi-lingual festival presenting the world's leading literary talents. In addition, AHL manages Our Cultural Medallion Story – the showcase on Singapore's Cultural Medallion recipients at The Arts House.
Arts House Limited is a public company limited by guarantee under the National Arts Council. First set up as The Old Parliament House Limited in 2002, it was renamed Arts House Limited in 2014. For more information, visit https://artshouselimited.sg/
Annex A: Aliwal Urban Art Festival 2023 programme highlights
Date: Saturday, 14 January 2023
Time: 12pm till late
Location: Various venues at Aliwal Arts Centre
All information is correct as of 12 December 2022 and may be subjected to changes. For the full programme line-up, including latest updates and more details, please visit https://artshouselimited.sg/aac-auaf-2023.
Programme Highlights
Prog Format |
Programme |
Partner/Tenant/Artists |
Exhibition |
FLIPSIDE Curated by RSCLS 12 artists from the urban art scene take to a new canvas (quite literally) in the form of tabula scalata, where they are challenged to create two paintings within a singular canvas. Audiences would have to move in the space to get the entirety of the work, inviting conversations about different perspectives shifting, coexisting and interacting in an evolving environment. |
*Featured Artists:
*See below for artist bios |
Panel Discussion |
SEE YOU ON THE FLIPSIDE: Artist Talks Curated by RSCLS Moderated by ZERO from RSCSLS, 4 artists discuss their process and concepts for their works in the exhibition and explore topics of interaction, identity and representation within and between communities. |
Moderator: ZERO
1pm – 2pm SAM LO TraseOne
4pm – 5pm SPEAKCRYPTIC SPAZ |
Various – Tours, Workshops, Demonstrations, Sharings |
Black Market Curated by RSCLS
Onsite registration required for various activities. Visit the Black Market to try your hand at a new skill, observe artists at work or converse with them about their craft. Artists and practitioners at the Black Market offer skills, knowledge and ideas from the street culture scene in exchange for your time. Experience an array of activities from silkscreen printing, fixing a bike, graffiti workshops and tours around Kampong Gelam – try something new at the Black Market and discover a world tucked away in our everyday. Programmes (more to be added):
|
Formed in late 2006, RSCLS is an urban art collective that believes in the propagation of acts of artistic nonsense through open uninhibited random collaborations and discourse. A collective of artistic misfits and outsiders from diversely distinct backgrounds, the collective is united by their love for graffiti and street art. |
Performance |
Urban Sounds Curated by Steady State Records 5pm – 9pm | Free | Multipurpose Hall Indulge in fresh tunes and fun riffs with this edition’s line-up of independent bands and artists of various music genres. From math rock band woes, to feel-good R&B outfit Astronauts featuring Thai artist Lukpeach, and more, the festival invites you to come for the music and stay for the good vibes. |
Featured Artists: 1. Woes woes is an Indie/Math rock band based in sunny Singapore. Weaving intricate twinkly guitar lines over solid dance-like bass riffs and melancholic vocals, the quintet uses their music as a channel to reminisce and express everybody’s daily life struggles. With a background of jazz and indie rock, the band breathes new life into the indie and math rock scene in Singapore, giving their take on the genres. Their distinctive sound, alongside the band’s exhilarating live shows, have made them a highly-sought staple in Singapore’s indie rock scene. Following their well-received debut “Zoodreams”, Woes dropped their sophomore EP, “Wake Up Pls”, last year to critical acclaim. The band is currently working on their debut full length album. 2. Astronauts ft Lukpeach (Thailand) Marrying old-school, feel good R&B with current hip-hop and pop offerings, the Astronauts are resolute in their pursuit of all things funky and soulful. After releasing Get Close and I’m No Good in 2017, the Astronauts exploded onto the scene in 2018 with Kryptonite peaking at #4 on Spotify Singapore’s Viral 50 playlist. Armed with a 13-piece funk band and backed by dancers from Lion City Lockers, the Astronauts launched their debut EP, ONE, at a sold-out show. Since then, the band has been lauded for their impressive showmanship and continues to bring audiences to their feet with show stopping performances. The band's sophomore release Come Callin’/No Pretense is a double-single that marks a new season for the quartet and there's still more on the way. Lukpeach is an artist based in Bangkok, Thailand. Known as a contestant on reality tv show, The Voice Thailand Season 2, now Lukpeach begins her journey as a solo artist. Writing and making music in her own style, you might find her music mixed between Modern Pop, R&B or even more. Lukpeach released her self-titled EP in 2007, and many more singles after that. Lukpeach can sing and speak in 3 languages (Thai, English and Japanese). *TBC 3rd and 4th music acts |
Performance |
< CLOSING > To round up the festivities, celebrate street culture with music, dance and sheer vibes at the RE:union Party by ScRach MarcS. Going back to the roots of street dance and urban culture, we have re-imagined the Block Party; a gathering of everyone in a final rendezvous of the night against the backdrop of graffiti and street art of Kampong Gelam. Soak in the energy of the streets with dance performances and battles; jive and groove the night away! |
ScRach MarcS (Rach, Marc) was formed to represent a new ideology and evolution of street art in Singapore, and soon, the world. Having both started out in the classic street dance styles, ScRach MarcS is about creative movement – they aim to look at dance as an art form, without boundaries and without labels. They appreciate movement, and aim to create new and exciting works that push the creative mind and artistic level. |
Visual Arts
Programme | Partner/Tenant/Artists |
New Feature Wall Showcase (Title of Work TBC) Side Facade of AAC Visual artists ZERO and TUYULOVEME collaborate for the first time to refresh the side façade of the Aliwal Arts Centre, coming together to create a large mural that responds to each other’s practice. |
Based in Yogyakarta, Widayat, also known as TUYULOVEME, developed his artistic practice as a graffiti artist. He started with graffiti lettering before the introduction of distinct figures and characters in his works which frequently appear in 2009. These figures are visual representation of his alter ego—an alternate self that hardly gets exposed in everyday life and lives vicariously through the artist’s creative journey. TUYULOVEME is internationally recognized with works in Indonesia, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Russia, Philippines and The United States as well as solo exhibitions in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018. Working in many mediums, he is an active advocate of graffiti as an artistic discipline. Zul Othman, also known as ZERO, is a visual artist with a ‘graffiti-esque’ aesthetic. He is the founder of RSCLS, an artist collective that seeks to evolve and develop urban art. One of the leading street artists who catalysed the second wave of graffiti art in Singapore, ZERO is a passionate advocate of research, archiving and documentation of the movement, particularly through his work with RSCLS. One such initiative is the SOLIDARITY 21 movement, which creates networks between practitioners of street and graffiti art in 21 countries in East and Southeast Asia through urban cultural exchanges and symposiums. As an artist, ZERO has exhibited at numerous public and private institutions locally and internationally in cities such as New York, Istanbul, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur. |
Live Graffiti Painting & Installation by Has.J 12pm – 10pm | Back Alley of AAC Watch Has.J’s visual world unfold on the wall at the back of Aliwal Arts Centre as he paints live for the day. Observe the process of a graffiti artist as he transforms his ideas into picture, and perhaps have a conversation or two that’ll help you better appreciate all that goes into a completed mural! |
Naturally finding his entry into graffiti through exposure to street culture at skateparks, Has.J’s exploration into graffiti started in 2011 as a curious endeavour. Combining his background in photography and skill in graffiti, he uses his keen eye to tactfully combine geometry and organic forms in his compositions. Working with experimental and illustrative typography, his vibrant and dynamic visual world deconstructs visual space. He combines multiple perspectives and two- and three-dimensional form within the same plane to fragment the overall composition. His current trajectory of works explores human body and forms within texts, with illustrative characters referred to as “Simple Problem Beings” forming part of or emerging from the lettering. |
Live Graffiti Painting by Titan Aerosol Crew 12pm – 10pm | Courtyard A You might have seen the graffiti works of Titan Aerosol Crew in spaces around Singapore and beyond, but have you stopped to observe the process? As the artists create their works live, watch and be inspired – you might even want to try your hand at spray painting afterwards with a graffiti workshop. |
Titan Aerosol Crew One of Singapore’s pioneer graffiti groups with more than 20 years’ of action, this crew’s mission is to spread graffiti art to various parts of the globe. |
Other Performances
Programme | Partner/Tenant/Artists |
Contemporary Opera Duets Courtyard and Level 2 Corridor, 1.30pm; Sidewall, 5.00pm | Free Experience a new side of opera as New Opera Singapore rejuvenates the classical art form by bringing opera out of the theatres and into our everyday spaces as performers serenade each other and audiences by singing duets around the Aliwal Arts Centre. |
Regarded by many as the fresh face of classical opera in Singapore, the company’s spirit of adventure and contemporary attitude has been changing the opera scene in Singapore since its formation in July 2011. Through the productions of well-known classics (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Dialogues of the Carmelites) to original works by Youth Opera Comique, their youth wing (Who’s Afraid of Opera?, For the Love of #Singing!), New Opera Singapore has provided a platform for local performers young and old to grow in talent and experience, as well as introducing local audiences to the mesmerising world of opera. |
Dance Performance by Kalpavriksha Fine Arts (Title TBC) Kalpavriksha Fine Arts presents an Indian Dance performance that interacts with the live graffiti artwork in progress by the Titan Aerosol Crew. |
Kalpavriksha Fine Arts is a performing arts company founded in 2013 by three young local dancers; Meera Balasubramanian, Sruti Rao and Shruthi Ramesh, with the aspirations of contributing to the Indian dance scene in Singapore. Kalpavriksha, a term derived from Hindu mythology, denoting the ‘tree of fulfilment’ - the tree that grants all boons and instils happiness in all. Rooted by the traditions of the classical arts and an ardent follower of the Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam, Kalpavriksha as an institution follows the same principle of inculcating the spirit of joy and humility, innately imbibed in the arts. |
URBAN IMMERSION by The Improv Company 12pm – 1pm | Multipurpose Hall | Free with registration
"Think outside the box, collapse the box, and take a f***ing sharp knife to it."
In the vibrant spirit of the Aliwal Urban Art Festival, TIC presents an improv comedy show that celebrates all things unapologetically unorthodox! Shower us with your unvarnished prompts or ideas, and our crafty performers will use them to make up colourful sketches that'll stick with you throughout the weekend! So leave your rigid stencils behind and be amazed as both the cast and audience collaborate towards creating hilarious narratives without scripts! |
Founded in 2013, The Improv Company is Singapore's first and biggest school of improvisational theatre and comedy. We welcome dozens of new students every month, imparting the positive values of "Yes, And" to every new cohort. Over the years, we've also produced and performed in hundreds of improv shows. Our coaches have supported a handful of performing groups; some have gone on to grow as independent troupes, while others stayed as TIC's House Teams. Internationally, we've represented Singapore at numerous festivals around the world. We even host the Singapore Improv Festival, which we produce biennially since 2016. Ultimately, we hope to keep advancing improv as an applicable approach to daily life as well as a staple form of community theatre in Singapore! |
Open Studio: Livestreaming of Teochew Opera Concert 2pm – 5pm | Free | Online for Concert Livestream & #03-02 for Open Studio 2pm – 3pm: Concert Livestream With its roots from the streets before Chinese Opera was performed in theatres, the Chinese Opera Studio believes in the power of opera singing in bringing people together. Visit their studio for a sneak peek into their behind-the-scenes of livestreaming one of their concerts from 2pm – 3pm. Stay on after to have a chat with these Chinese Opera enthusiasts to discover more about the art of opera singing, and what the artform entails as they screen excerpts of their past productions and share about their experiences from 3pm – 5pm. Visitors can check out their concert online on 14 Jan at 2pm here: https://www.facebook.com/chineseoperastudiogroup |
Founded in Singapore in 2021, The Chinese Opera Studio is a group of opera-loving friends and enthusiasts who are passionate about opera singing and performance, welcoming anyone who share their enjoyment of the art form to join them. |
Workshops & Hands-on Activities
Programme | Partner/Tenant/Artists |
The Everyday Vinyl: Collaging with Repurposed Vinyl Stickers 12pm – 6pm | Free | #02-04 Expanding from their installation work ‘The Everyday Vinyl’, DASSAD invites you to explore how unwanted vinyl stickers can be given a second life through collaging. Create a collaborative collage with the community and learn more about repurposing single-use materials with sustainability in mind. Drop by #02-04 anytime from 12pm – 6pm, and get hands on! |
A multidisciplinary art trio based in Singapore comprised of Woong Soak Teng, Adar Ng and Dave Lim, DASSAD is a team of image-makers that use the artmaking process as a vehicle for communicating their practice. |
Improv Taster Session
Get your tickets at: https://improvtastersessions.eventbrite.sg Tell engaging (or even hilarious) stories on the fly! This workshop is a fun, no-pressure introduction to improvisational theatre, a popular form of scriptless storytelling. We'll explore the core principles behind performative improv and why they are just as applicable in daily life as on stage. You'll then get to try out a few simple games and exercises to put these principles into practice. By the end of the session, attendees will better appreciate how improv can help build skills in lateral thinking, collaborative teamwork, and public speaking. No theatre experience is required, and laughter's guaranteed! |
Founded in 2013, The Improv Company is Singapore's first and biggest school of improvisational theatre and comedy. We welcome dozens of new students every month, imparting the positive values of "Yes, And" to every new cohort. Over the years, we've also produced and performed in hundreds of improv shows. Our coaches have supported a handful of performing groups; some have gone on to grow as independent troupes, while others stayed as TIC's House Teams. Internationally, we've represented Singapore at numerous festivals around the world. We even host the Singapore Improv Festival, which we produce biennially since 2016. Ultimately, we hope to keep advancing improv as an applicable approach to daily life as well as a staple form of community theatre in Singapore! |
Viewpoints: An Experience Workshop 1pm, 2pm | Free with Registration | #02-09 Duration: 45 minutes Through a series of simple exercises, participants will be introduced to Viewpoints—a training method that actors use to develop awareness of their mind and body in relation to the environment. Come with an open mind and join us in exploring the different elements of Viewpoints such as Shapes and Movement in this experiential workshop! No acting/theatre experience required. |
An award-winning Mandarin theatre company in multicultural Singapore, Nine Years Theatre loves to dream up game-changing ways to do things. Since the beginning, the company has been invested in actor training in order to create work that is consistent in quality. Nine Years Theatre believes in entertaining our audience in ways that are honest and thoughtful, with works that are recognised for being relatable and culturally layered, possessing deep sensibility that speaks to audiences from all backgrounds. Fluid in scale and genre, Nine Years Theatre creates performances ranging from re-imaginations of classics and adaptations of literary works to original plays as well as interdisciplinary and international collaborations. |
Open Studios
Venue | Programme | Partner/Tenant/Artists |
#02-07 |
Open Studio by RSCLS |
Formed in late 2006, RSCLS is an urban art collective that believes in the propagation of acts of artistic nonsense through open uninhibited random collaborations and discourse. A collective of artistic misfits and outsiders from diversely distinct backgrounds, the collective is united by their love for graffiti and street art. |
#02-04 |
Open Studio by DASSAD |
A multidisciplinary art trio based in Singapore comprised of Woong Soak Teng, Adar Ng and Dave Lim, DASSAD is a team of image-makers that use the artmaking process as a vehicle for communicating their practice. |
#02-10 |
Open Studio by Hothouse |
Hothouse is a space in Singapore that supports and prototypes artistic practices. It nurtures experimentation and production as a mode of upending conventions and liberating inquiry. Founded in 2020, it is housed within space and time shared between art collective INTER–MISSION, design agency Currency, and more recently, research lab formAxioms. This ever-evolving interdisciplinary setup encompasses expertise across contemporary art, technology, design, and architecture, allowing for emancipatory approaches toward knowledge building and dissemination. |
#02-08 |
Open Studio by Wolfsloth and Chris Chai |
Gabriel De Souza, also known as Wolfsloth, is a Singaporean artist whose creative pursuits span across several mediums and continents. A painter, illustrator, and tattoo artist, he has also had a 16-year stint as the guitarist for one of Singapore’s foremost post-hardcore bands, Caracal. Gabriel’s works draw inspiration from ukiyo-e, surrealism, mythology, animal folklore, and nature, which he masterfully weaves into his art through his signature visual style and unique language of colour. Having attended Lasalle College of the Arts, Gabriel graduated in 2011 from Lasalle College of the Arts with a diploma in Fine Arts, majoring in graphic novel illustration. He has since been constantly pushing his creative boundaries in a bid to not just create timeless pieces, but conversation pieces. -- Chris Chai Chris Chai is a Singaporean artist intrigued by the entrancing effect of line, shape and pattern. His work often employs heavy use of geometric elements and symmetry, taking heavy inspiration from organised visual structures such as architecture, textile patterns, graphic novel panels and esoteric artwork. He is interested in the prevalence and symbology of motif and pattern throughout human society; how at times they speak more of a culture’s existence than its produced representational imagery. Often contrasting recurring bold graphic elements with intricately detailed line drawings, Chai’s work investigates the consequence of constant repetition. |
#02-02 |
Open Studio by Kalpavriksha Fine Arts |
Kalpavriksha Fine Arts is a performing arts company founded in 2013 by three young local dancers; Meera Balasubramanian, Sruti Rao and Shruthi Ramesh, with the aspirations of contributing to the Indian dance scene in Singapore. Kalpavriksha, a term derived from Hindu mythology, denoting the ‘tree of fulfilment’ - the tree that grants all boons and instils happiness in all. Rooted by the traditions of the classical arts and an ardent follower of the Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam, Kalpavriksha as an institution follows the same principle of inculcating the spirit of joy and humility, innately imbibed in the arts. |
#02-09 |
Open Studio by Nine Years Theatre 3.30pm – 5.30pm | #02-09 Drop by the studio of Nine Years Theatre to get acquainted with their works. Make yourself comfortable and watch excerpts of their past productions including recent ones such as See You, Anniversary, Electrify My World and First Fleet, as well as their first few productions such as Twelve Angry Men and ART. |
An award-winning Mandarin theatre company in multicultural Singapore, Nine Years Theatre loves to dream up game-changing ways to do things. Since the beginning, the company has been invested in actor training in order to create work that is consistent in quality. Nine Years Theatre believes in entertaining our audience in ways that are honest and thoughtful, with works that are recognised for being relatable and culturally layered, possessing deep sensibility that speaks to audiences from all backgrounds. Fluid in scale and genre, Nine Years Theatre creates performances ranging from re-imaginations of classics and adaptations of literary works to original plays as well as interdisciplinary and international collaborations. |
#03-02 |
Open Studio by Chinese Opera Studio 2pm – 5pm | Free | #03-02 2pm – 3pm: Concert Livestream For those curious about Teochew Opera, visit Chinese Opera Studio for a sneak peek into their behind-the-scenes of livestreaming one of their concerts from 2pm – 3pm. Stay on after to have a chat with these Chinese Opera enthusiasts to discover more about the art of opera singing, and what the artform entails as they screen excerpts of their past productions and share about their experiences from 3pm – 5pm. |
Founded in Singapore in 2021, The Chinese Opera Studio is a group of opera-loving friends and enthusiasts who are passionate about opera singing and performance, welcoming anyone who share their enjoyment of the artform to join them. |
Annex B: Artist Bios for FLIPSIDE Exhibition
Artist | Bio | |
1 | ANTZ |
One of Singapore’s pioneer street artists, ANTZ is one of the Singapore urban art scene’s mainstay talents. From mythology to dialect and identity, he references Chinese culture and vernacular stories to create a “juxtaposed mash” of contemporary urban styles with ethnic and traditional Chinese visual language and influences. Co-founder of RSCLS, an urban art collective, ANTZ has continuously mentored and engaged youth through design, street art and graffiti. As an artist, ANTZ has been involved in renowned projects internationally (Southeast Asia, Chine, North America and Europe) and brands such as ADIDAS, NIKE, IdN, Converse, Taggerbags, Tiger Translate, and many more. |
2 | Bony |
After taking some time away from art, BONY recently returned to graffiti, working at home, with the new goal of not wanting to be “just another graffiti artist”. Raswadi Bin Rahmat, also known as BONY, channels innovation into works, striving to breathe new life into his inspirations—wildstyle graffiti, bushido and nature—through his works. He fuses together his passions for graffiti and natural hardscape in his latest series of works. His favours the use of aerosol paint, expanding foam, acrylic-based markers and preserved reindeer moss. |
3 | Demster |
Graphic designer and urban artist Adam Wang (also known as Demster) is a member of the RSCLS, an urban art collective in Singapore; a representative of TAC (Titan Aerosol Crew), a local graffiti crew; and concurrently runs DIVISION HQ., an independent art & design studio that specialises in brand identity designs and murals. His art navigates the emotional, physical and spiritual plane to make sense of one’s being in a perturbed existence and is a collective showcase of his various experiences and skill sets. In his 11 years of experience, his professional design work has expanded to include commissions for events, exhibitions and club establishments, and workshops he conducts to share his craft. |
4 | Stranger |
Nur Iman (b. 1990), also known as “Stranger,” started in the Singapore graffiti scene in 2005, impressively winning a graffiti competition that same year. Graduating in 2012, he studied fine arts, majoring in Western Painting at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). In 2019, he dabbled in art management and curation, representing 11 artists in the Tatinis art fair under the name of his own art gallery, The Common Space. In addition to graffiti, he extends his creative passion through education, teaching adult art classes, college art electives, secondary and primary school art workshops, and most recently, preschool art excursions. |
5 | KILAS |
Adopted the moniker KILAS in early 2003, Zahir Sanosi’s works stretches across multiple platforms. Works of sometimes controversial and contradictory themes, KILAS’s illustrations and designs can be found on skateboards, T-shirts, screen prints, posters, canvases and walls. His works detail the struggle between personal beliefs and public issues, as well as the passion and heartbeat of underground counterculture. He has worked with brands like Tiger Beer, Earache Records (UK), and Santa Cruz Skateboards (USA), to name a few. |
6 | PHATNOEZ |
A member of ZNC or Zincnitecrew—a graffiti collective with 75 members worldwide—Ayid Razak, also known as NOEZ23 (pronounced “noise”) was a late starter in the graffiti scene, being an avid fan first before dabbling in the art form without formal training. He apprenticed at The Blackbook Studio, working in exchange for knowledge on the craft and practicing whenever he could. Today, Ayid has ties with various graffiti writers and artists across the world, mostly from Southeast Asia, and participates actively in local and regional urban art events. |
7 | SKL0 |
Sam Lo is a visual artist whose work offers social commentary fuelled by observations of their surroundings and research into the socio-political climate. Their early forays into street art sparked a local debate on Singapore’s definitions of art and vandalism, earning them the moniker "Sticker Lady" and making them a household name. Today, Lo’s work spans installations, large-scale murals and digital designs that aim to deepen our understanding the world around us and how our actions are interdependent. |
8 | Spaz |
The two-time recipient of the LASALLE Scholarship, and the first Southeast Asian artist to win the Takifuji International Art Award in 2013, SPAZ (Laurie Maravilla) is a Singapore-based urban artist and researcher from Manila, Philippines who expresses her personal experiences of motherhood, politics of gender and self-determination in her radically political works and writings. She co-founded The Solidarity Movement, an initiative that seeks to research, establish and document graffiti and street art as a culture and art discipline in Southeast Asia. She also founded REBEL DAUGHTERS, a movement aimed empower of women through graffiti and urban art, and address issues affecting working class women and women in male-dominated industries. She is currently part of Tambisan sa Sining, a labour-oriented cultural mass organization based in the Philippines. |
9 | Speak Cryptic |
Farizwan Fajari, professionally known as Speak Cryptic, currently working and living in Singapore, primarily explores the constructions, conditions and tensions of identity. Through intricately rendered patterns and figures that populate his compositions—sometimes accompanied by texts and phrases extracted from punk lyrics—his drawings, paintings and installations investigate the phenomena and experiences of ancestral migration, ethnic dislocation, gentrification, alternative subcultures and diaspora. He has exhibited at the Koganecho Art bazaar (Yokohama, Japan, 2018), The 1st Kuala Lumpur Biennale (2017), Secret Archipelago (Paris, France, 2015), The Singapore Biennale (2013) and Future Proof (2012). |
10 | TraseOne |
His practice starting in 1999, TraseOne (Sufian Hamri) is highly regarded as one of the leading pioneers in pushing boundaries and developing the street art scene in Singapore. His works focus on sparking dialogue on socio-cultural behaviour and current affairs through tact handling of subject matter to engage viewers. A self-taught graffiti artist, he was awarded the inaugural Goh Chok Tong Youth Promise, SSF Star Youth Leader Award and LASALLE Degree Scholarship in 2005, which allowed him to then pursue a BA(Hons) in Fine Arts at LASALLE College of the Arts. He has been the art director for the Singapore Street Festival (SSF) since 2002, and worked with brands like OCBC Bank, Facebook, Paypal and Spotify, exhibiting in numerous shows globally, including in Indonesia, Hong Kong, Germany. |
11 | TUYULOVEME |
Based in Yogyakarta, TUYULOVEME developed his artistic practice as a graffiti artist. He started with graffiti lettering before the introduction of distinct figures and characters in his works which frequently appear in 2009. These figures are visual representation of his alter ego—an alternate self that hardly gets exposed in everyday life and lives vicariously through the artist’s creative journey. TUYULOVEME is internationally recognized with works in Indonesia, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Russia, Philippines and The United States as well as solo exhibitions in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018. Working in many mediums, he is an active advocate of graffiti as an artistic discipline. |
12 | Boon Baked |
A graffiti and visual artist from Singapore, Boon Baked started exploring with spray paint in 2012. His first wall was painted during the Meeting of Styles graffiti festival in Kuala Lumpur in 2016. Since then, he has been emblazoning walls around Southeast Asia with a distinctive lettering style and compositions. Drawing inspiration from his imagination, his illustrations and paintings feature funky characters and his cartoon alter ego, Matakuyu Man. |