AWOL is an independent publication that is inspired by individuals who hustle. We write about and speak to people from all walks of life – uniting their endeavours, dreams and fears. Be prepared to immerse yourself, be inspired and discover something new.
AWOL is an independent publication that is inspired by individuals who hustle. We write about and speak to people from all walks of life – uniting their endeavours, dreams and fears. Be prepared to immerse yourself, be inspired and discover something new.
is a platform conceived for sharing ideas and stories. Through this platform, we want to evoke, affect, and cause you to react. As organisms of change, we are one part of the equation — you are the other. We detest the overusage of the word viral. We prefer conversations to over-analytical and judgmental statements. Occasionally, we collaborate to work on unorthodox projects. www.wearevirus.info A project by Fable www.fable.sg
a beautiful design – holycrap – roots – ftht – vedant gupta – visual inconsideration – farm – munn iskandar – the walking toast – ryan len – teo yu siang – tan jiahui – foo boey eng – ruben pang – xiaoxi jin – chua siang yee – ben koh – shawn ingkiriwang
THE PARADOX OF OUR TIME The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things. We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete. Remember, to spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent. Remember, to say, “I love you” to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person might not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak. And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.
BY DR. BOB MOOREHEAD
is a platform conceived for sharing ideas and stories. Through this platform, we want to evoke, affect, and cause you to react. As organisms of change, we are one part of the equation — you are the other. We detest the overusage of the word viral. We prefer conversations to overanalytical and judgmental statements. Occasionally, we collaborate to work on unorthodox projects. www.wearevirus.info A project by Fable www.fable.sg
words by Tan Jiahui
Hello there. Kampong is a curated traveling exhibition. The exhibition theme revolves around heritage, community, creativity and dreams. Kampong will be travelled to various common spaces of Singapore. In our earlier days and years, commune spaces were a frequent gathering place for different generations and races to come together to connect. There was diversity in commonality in Kampongs. We used to treat such spaces as something so dear to us, where people gather together to watch films, hang out, neighbours get to know one another and the sense of community and neighborliness gets heightened. The unity of a society begins with the unity of a nation, a community, a family and then down to an individual. Common spaces where interactivity and face-to-face contact happens are an important to gain understanding of one another, learning about each other’s differences and similarities. The society has come a long way since our infancy. Although it can be said that we are still feeling our way through our adolescence, much has been debated about the identity that we are trying to grapple with. With the onset of technology in recent years, it is somewhat a double edged sword that as the digital realm seeks to bring people closer, it sometimes bring people further apart. The question ultimately boils down to how we perceive a community and how we perceive archival. Are we archiving for archival sake, some might ask. Are we sprinting forward for the sake for advancement, others might question.
collaborators and sponsors
KAMPONG is the latest project by To us, visual archival is a reflexive thing. It should also exist physically instead of only as a fleeting digital image. Embracing the future is as important as understanding our past. We collaborated with creative and inspiring individuals. We hustled and concluded that if we want to call a place home, we shall fight hard to make it beautiful.
movements — both independent and government funded — shows baby steps in firming our culture and preserving what we had built all these years. Baby steps they may be, but they are better than nothing. A lot of hype has been given to multi-faceted social media building. Online sentimental recollection such as sharing of moments, sharing of memories, sharing of childhood stories and so on are sweet but will never really hit the ground going. In no way are we really educating our new citizens or residents about how we were once upon a time. I am not saying that every new migrant wants to learn how to play hopscotch, but if I were to go to Berlin, I hope to touch the wall instead of just seeing it behind my computer screen. I hope to sit down with a kid and talk about how our skyline will look like down the road. Faceto-face over a potong ice cream. Not on Whatsapp. Instead of expecting people to step forward to build a culture together, I sincerely propose to bring it right to where they are standing. To spaces where people used to gather in the past –void decks, common spaces, where people came together, nodded and smiled to each other. We often complain that we do not have enough space as a society. The fact is there are so many empty spaces that are nothing but voids. Our void decks have become an emotional void. What used to gather us is now a space to literally commute our soul-less and tired bodies back home. People started to question the loss of a communal spirit. The loss of culture. The loss of heritage. The influx of everything. Now, there is a mad dash for preservation, archival and everything memorable. This sweet and wonderful thing has become a thing for people to relate to anything nostalgic once upon a time.
The rise of the digital world is an extremely important platform to engage and help us remember what our lives were like once upon a time. A space filled with tangible objects would further serve as a better platform to intrigue Singaporeans and bring back the sweet memory of our childhood endeavours. With things fast-forwarding towards the future, the spaces that allow physical interactivity are indeed disappearing fast. Social media, I believe, has taught us how to connect but yet disconnect. The fact is, we cannot have everything. The fact also is, if we want communal spirit and strong culture and future heritage, we have to make it. The recent nostalgic
We are bringing things right to the heartlands where people can experience it firsthand. So that the auntie who is coming back from the market can see something she used to love once upon a time, and hopefully share it with her grandchild; parents can share stories of their childhood; immigrants and new residents can come and learn more about our country in the middle of the heartlands; and most importantly to me – kids learning how to look both forward and backward. I call this reflexive visual archival. Envisioning how we will progress is as important as reminiscing.
credits
colophon
KAMPONG is the latest project by To us, visual archival is a reflexive thing. It should also exist physically instead of only as a fleeting digital image. Embracing the future is as important as understanding our past. We collaborated with creative and inspiring individuals. We hustled and concluded that if we want to call a place home, we shall fight hard to make it beautiful.
The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat – Lily Tomlin The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat – Lily Tomlin The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat – Lily Tomlin The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat – Lily Tomlin The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat – Lily Tomlin The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat – Lily Tomlin The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat – Lily Tomlin The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat – Lily Tomlin The trouble with the rat race is that even if 13
Beautiful is about looking at things differently. It’s about perception. It’s about beauty in imperfection, beauty in the ordinary, beauty in everything. Most of all, it’s about finding silver linings, living a happy life. We sat down with Roy Poh, Creative Director of award-winning design studio A Beautiful Design and chatted about education, society, design and various endeavours. interview by Tan Jiahui images courtesy of Roy Poh
Hello Roy. So we are here to talk about design and the society. I do not know about you personally, but at least to me there is still a distance between the people and the designers. What do you think about that?
Roy walks away. Roy comes back.
elder brother subscribes to Rolling Stones and Face Magazine long ago, and it was not a very popular magazine. You can not find it anywhere. There is this shop in Pacific Plaza that has closed down ten twenty years ago. Some music bookshop. When he has finished reading I would cut out stuff from the magazines. I have a liking from these graphic stuff. I have all the ads from like Nike, Reebok and other ads that is attractive to me as compared to some local ads in the papers that are pretty hardsell. Since then I have been collecting for a really long time aside from drawing. During secondary school we were given a career form. We were asked to fill it in during a career talk our three choices. First choice I wrote pilot, I was not wearing spectacles then. Second I put chef. Third I put designer. Then I do not know there is a designer career. I spoke to the consultant and asked him if there is a job that people do nice logos ads and graphics. Then I do not even know there was such a career path, did not know about photography, art direction and everything. He told me maybe it is a designer or a “marketing consultant”. I did not know what is a “marketing consultant” and so I put designer. That was when I started to realize there is such a job. After secondary school I got admitted into the Civil Engineering course in Singapore Polytechnic, which I attended for three days and found out that it is not my cup of tea. On the third day they told me we were going to make cement. I replied “no way I am going to make cement for the rest of my life.”So I went to the office and said sorry I wanted to quit and asked how much can I get back. They told me I could only get back 70%. I said okay I will do it and did not tell my parents. Secretly I went to NAFA and talked to the people there to find out more about things like that. The school was known more for fine arts and not so on design. There was no computers yet. So I took a part time course and after 6 months and told my parents the truth. I told them not to worry and will pay back whatever that you paid for the school and will pay whatever I need for my own course. Then I was schooling and working at a Jap restaurant. It started as something to help pay my expenses but I grew to love it so much that I worked for 4 years both full time and part time. I studied NAFA for awhile with the portfolio that I built there, I applied for Temasek Poly. That was when I chose Visual Communications. That was how it started.
Where were you before NTU?
They called it Visual Communications back then?
Army? Before that in JC. SAJC.
Yes yes. I must say that that period of time was when computers just got invented. It was not so fast. So there was a computer room with like less than 20 LC2 Mac computers. Students have to book a timeslot to use it. But when you do a lot of computer work, the hardware can not take it and every file takes 15 minutes to save and load. It was so frustrating that I like to use my hands to do more craft and hand work. It turned out to be a good thing as computers got faster, I kind of experienced the new and old technology. I kind
It is kind of good to educate people what is going on in the creative scene. Many people have tried and the results are still sometimes not very obvious yet. I am from The Design Society, and we have tried to educate people from all walks of life like uncles and aunties. However we found the best way to inject design to the society is to inject design with students. Not design students, instead we are talking about primary school students. We do it when they are still young and able to absorb as much as possible. If you target to the older generation, they are already running their own lives and they might be aware, but they might see this as a cool thing that the younger people are doing that they might not understand. At least they can have the knowledge but I do not think they will understand and appreciate good design honestly. Let us talk about physical things, it is hard for an uncle to buy a $2000 lamp instead of a $20 lamp?
Like you said, a mindset has to start young. Yes, definitely. 80% of Singaporeans are still living in HDB, and it does not mean only the older generation stays there. Recently there is also an exhibition held at some HDB flats. Can I get you a drink?
No it is fine. Are you thirsty? It is okay. Tea? Milk?
Yes milk tea is good thank you.
I wanted to go a Polytechnic with my friend after secondary school to pursue design but I also wanted to join a soccer team, so in the end I chose SAJC.Youthful decisions. For me when I was a kid I always cut out ads from magazines. My
Now, information is so accessible that people are starting to get lazy. For a project, always do your own research and ideation before going to see what people have done. If you are doing a project on tea, always go read up on tea first before going to Google “top tea packaging designs”.
of understand the hardship involved in those areas as I was in the evolution era into the digital age.
There is a rumour outside that you still Freehand MX. Is it true? Yes that is true! Are you serious? There is a rumour like that? (Laughs)
Yes I heard from somewhere and it is pretty funny. Well (laughs), I am not the only one to be honest. The people in my generation like Jackson and the phunk people are using Freehand also. Some other friends like Candy and others.
It is an interesting note to hear as I am someone from the “Adobe” generation. (Laughs) Yes but we have to change. I know Hanson (H55) has moved onto InDesign. For me, most of the time I am working alone. When I need help then I hire freelancers, developer, photographers and most of the time I when I work alone, I work ten times faster than the times I work on Illustrator or Indesign. It is not I do not how to use it but it is a personal workflow thing. When my iMac stops working one day I might consider shifting entirely!
Now it is the Creative Cloud generation, where you buy the program and subscribe to it monthly with a fee.You can subscribe to it monthly and use it but it is charged every month I think? I am still on CS6 though.. Are you serious? Right now I buy a computer I can not load in the software anymore? Ok..it is like playing a game!
They bought Freehand some time ago!
for spaces. There might be competition to be the best but I feel that one should always work for others first when you come out. Working for yourself seems fun, but it is actually really not easy. There is not only the design work, there is always the inter-personal relationships and responsibility. People are buying you a big sum of money to work on something. It is not charity money. You have to have some experience to make sure that the money they pay are well spent and make sure it works for the client and not only for yourself. Most importantly, depending on the client, sometimes the most creative stuff might not sell. I feel that when one becomes mature enough you will realized that there is a balance. I know of people who always want to do super creative stuff. The first round might work but people might not come back to you because the work you did does not sell my products or services. It is important to understand the psyche of the client to see if there is a potential to push them to another level. Or it might be no way for them to accept it. I feel that life is much easier if you know your client really well. Some people get really upset if they get rejected, you know what I mean. That is why I say that younger people should go work and gain experience first. But nowadays, you can always work for people and at home you can always have your own label. This is what design is about. If you create for people and people reject it, you create for yourself.
Is there any project you have always wanted to do, but never had a chance yet? Wow there is a lot. Too many in the pipeline that I wanted to do. I always keep a note (takes out his phone and goes to his list). Let me read it out to you. There are a lot of things that I want to do. I want to do Fine Arts. Sculpture. Just reading from the list. Furniture. Short stories. I want to do my own Food Packaging. I find the ones in Singapore cannot make it. My own lighting. I collect toys. I haven’t started on anything, but I have collected some lamps from here and there. A simple shade of lamp, and I want to put all my action figures on it and spray the whole thing white. To make it an action figure lamp. Fashion. Too many for me to name..
So up till now what is your favorite project? Browsing Copy?
Yes but they are not making it anymore! (laughs) It is not something I would call my favorite. It is just something I am doing right now. A lot of people who made the switch have many things to say.I always thought I would like to try it some day myself.. So do you have a personal favorite? I think you should not (laughs). You should move forward. Must it be design related? It seems like a many small independent studios are popping out nowadays..you mentioned that you work alone and you collaborate a lot. How would you differentiate your own practice? How do I stand out from the rest? For me I am quite lucky. Before my own studio I worked at Kinetic for over 8 years. I already knew quite many people in the industry and I know clients. Clients move around and move to other places. It is a very relationship thing. I do have quite a few regular clients who always work with me and that is why I feel I am lucky. I do not have to always look for jobs outside. To me, I do not think that I feel that I need to stand out from the rest. I do not feel that it is a competition. I think that as a someone in TDS, I should embrace and believe in collaboration. I have actually passed quite a few jobs to my younger peers. I am not a competitive person in nature. If I feel another agency is more suitable, I will tell them that they are more suitable but it they are my regular client, of course I will work with them. It is not about standing out, to me it is about doing what you do best. I do not like to compete and I feel that we should work together.
I think it is pretty reflexive. There are so many designers now, and competition is inevitable. I was told that almost 2000 design students graduate every year. Either you find a job or you work it out on your own. However the whole scene should work together in a way that if you wish to bring your country or society’s image upwards, the only way is to be united. Well I have been in this industry for almost 20 years. As I said I am quite blessed but for yourself and the younger generation and sometimes I can feel there is some frustration. When it was my time there were like 3-5 schools, and now you have maybe more than 10. Every year there are thousands of graduates coming out to compete
Well it is up to you. Well I am not stopping BC. I have to collect books from bookshops and I write to overseas bookstores to see if they have any unwanted bookstores. There is a lot of logistics involved and it gets tough sometimes. They agree but the shipping is not so cheap. So sometimes when I visit a country like Japan, I would email them and ask if they have any unwanted books. The whole process sometimes get abit slow. In Singapore I have taken from Borders and Basheer. Kino has not answered me yet. I took from PageOne before they closed. Right now I am doing a Fine Arts project. A documentation project with illustration and photography. I am trying to cover as much as I can now! That is as much I can tell you now!
I realize that there is this culture now of internet bombardment. In the people go to the library, refer to books, curated selections and references. Now, we scroll through feeds for hours, just receiving visuals after visuals. There are people who begin a job by going to Google for everything that has been done before for inspiration before drafting out anything or even before their ideation process. So what do you think should be done?
are moving a lot faster. Which is actually bad (laughs). For me, such information that are so easily accessible can be sometimes not very good because everyone feels that they are designers. The clients also feel that they are the designer. If you can Google it, so can they. It becomes a very fixated situation. In the past where things are different, it is better for many people like school lecturers. I feel that they sometimes find it hard to teach as everything is already accessible. Last time when they go overseas, they get exposed to events, knowledge and images. When they come back, they can hao lian to students. The students get amazed and intrigued and there is a feeling of hunger and motivation to explore more. Now, information is so accessible that people are starting to get lazy. For a project, always do your own research and ideation before going to see what people have done. If you are doing a project on tea, always go read up on tea first before going to Google “top tea packaging designs”. It should not be this way. You should learn the history of tea, the client’s requirements and everything. I do not know whether it is good or bad, but I feel that people are getting lazier.
Well, firstly I have to say that Singapore is only like almost 50 years old. We were a British Colony, which actually brought in quite a lot of British influence in terms of visuals. It also depends on which sector you are looking at. In Chinatown everything is from China and Malaysia. Little India is from India. We are such a rojak society in Singapore that there are different areas of graphic design but if you talk about something more international, I would say that we are more influenced by the British design due to our history. After the invention of internet, I would say that the only way that we can blend in with the international scene is to make it..not more Asian..I would not say Singapore has an Asian look like Hongkong..in Hongkong you will think of something more mandarin. Singapore is so rojak that we are something more international and British. As we are a society that has so many influences, we should not use just one look to define Singapore.
How about the future? We are people who draw inspiration from everything around us. Do you feel that many designers are sitting in front of the computer too much? Yes of course. That is why I say it is very easy to be a designer now. That is why there are a lot of times it is about marketing yourself. Like some photographers, the things they shoot are almost they same as ten others or even better. It is also about marketing yourself and who you know. It is always something superficial. You can be a so-so designer but if your connections are good, you can go very far! (laughs)
It depends on where we are heading. I do not think there is a big shift in how graphic design will look simply because the companies that are investing in Singapore are mostly MNCs. They want to target to everyone the world. The consensus is an English visual language. The field will still be something international. We still will not have a distinctive look. We are a place for business, not so much a place for culture. As a place for business, we will always have a business look. Take what you are doing for example. If you wish to do something more cultural and grassroots, those are targeting at specific locations. It might represent Singapore to a certain extend but not the whole of Singapore. It represents people who might more nostalgic. I do not think there is a Singapore look.
It is the same for every industry. Yup I agree.
Well I have nothing against references, but I feel that everything should start with a blank slate. Doing as much internal research with your understanding of the design needs before going forward with influences as such.
Okay so where are we now?
So lastly, what do you think is our future, where do you think we are now in terms of international standing and where are we heading to?
Actually, it is a good and bad thing. It is good in a way that things Haha wow there are so many parts.
What I feel Singapore is always criticized for having no identity. But maybe our identity is having a non-defined, constantly evolving identity. Or rather, a rojak identity. Of course it is a mix. You can go to museums now and find a kueh lapis, dragon playgrounds and ba zhang. It is a rojak and we will always be a rojak. We have more people coming in now constantly, so the only thing we are heading towards is a more diverse rojak! — V
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Ruben Pang’s paintings are projections of his psyche, reflecting on notions of prospect, arrival, and transformation. His works have traveled around the world and received acclaim both locally and internationally. We spoke to Ruben about the experience of a young artist growing up in Singapore. interview by Tan Jiahui images courtesy of Ruben Pang
Tell us more about yourself and what you do I value independence and freedom—things that are never obtained easily. Sometimes they overlap, and occasionally they are very clearly distinct, as though we can only have one or the other. I think it is in my nature to be caged; to be prisoner to my own mind, and I want to work against this predisposition. I believe we choose what kind of artists we want to be very early in our development. For now, the framework of painting is an alternative world (still a cage in its own way). Its boundaries are temporary adjustable structures like crutches. They aid me along to find my footing and are stripped away as I progress. Painting is an exercise that paces the journey to nowhere.
Coffee or tea? Coffee.
Describe a typical day for you.
Do you feel that it supports creativity? Why and how? It boils down to the individual. There’s still a limit to how far good intentions or circumstances can benefit a person. Good education doesn’t equate to good art.
Describe your art education. Was it tough? It was a comfort bubble. This says a lot more about me than the education.
In your opinion, how much have we evolved creatively as a nation and where do you think we are headed? We are starting to see the adaptability of Singaporean artists. We are beginning to grow out of the habit of complaining. I think it is a good sign when you see small pockets of artists who run with what they have, moving beyond the idea of competing for a slice of pie from the National Arts Council. Gradually, artists are beginning to celebrate each others’ success instead of acquiring tall-poppy syndrome. This is a sign of maturing.
Mostly inertia, its between lethargy and restlessness. But I’m not complaining, there is a lot to be thankful for. Where do we stand internationally? Did you grow up in an environment that encouraged your endeavours? Or did you work to pursue what you knew you loved? My father always had a mind of an artist. He made it clear that I had to breathe art till it ran in my veins. He told me that the hardship would be more emotional than physical and taught me to maintain composure no matter what the circumstance. Milenko Pravcki also shaped my attitude when approaching the framework of school, he told me during my admission interview into Lasalle, “You come here, you have to be naughty. Sometimes listen - most of the time, don’t listen.” There were obstacles, but I don’t think about them now — its behind me. Everyone - not just artists – make sacrifices and sometimes we deal with more than our fair share. But there’s nothing special about artistic sacrifices.
What are your perceptions towards the education in Singapore? Its hard to say because I’ve never experienced any other education system sufficiently to compare it against. I felt like my time in Lasalle opened my mind to many things, but I can see how so much information can also corrupt. It is important in the practice of art, to keep the need for validation in check.
That’s not for us to determine.
Now, onto your paintings. What are some thought processes that are in your head as you go about working on them? As I paint more frequently now, the process of thought recalibrates itself. The speed of language cannot keep up with the mental aspect of painting. The better I get at immersing myself within painting, the further away my attempts at articulating these ideas fall farther and farther from my intention. This makes talking about painting very difficult. I think references towards texts on aesthetics or mentioning other artists that one relates to is acceptable to a degree, but could also be mislaeading. The pleasure of discovering aesthetic dialogues—between works of art — should also be inferred and experienced by the viewer. Sometimes one simply needs to look with uninformed (empty) eyes; find a connection before any thought arises. Once you’ve experienced this, as a viewer, not just as an artist, you don’t want to settle for less, everything else is superfluous. I think the painting process is like aligning the mirrors. Its like you’ve got shards of reflective material inside you, and the mirror doesn’t generate anything new, its always a complete image. The painted surface is always facing you and it projects something at you. The results depend on how you align yourself to the scenario. Its a symbiotic relationship.
RUBEN PAINTING
In the perfect world, this interaction is very immediate, but it is not in the nature of the medium (paint) to yield, it is volatile and reflexive. Thinking of the possibilities of the painting is often more pleasurable than the actual process, where impulses could open doors or ambush. Its especially hard to play this kind of game when I’m accustomed to the availability of ‘copy-paste’, ‘save as’ and other immediate rendering in software, but it is organic and I enjoy it. It feels like shaping a drying scab.
What / who would you say are your biggest influences / inspiration?
RUBEN PAINTING
The people who come to my mind immediately are Ian Woo and Jeremy Sharma. They were the artists that sharpened my eyes while I was in Lasalle. I have tremendous respect for them and am grateful for everything they’ve taught me. I love the work of David Reed, Max Ernst, Ernst Fuchs, Francis Bacon, Gerhard Richter, Michael Borremans, Neo Rauch. I think the strongest influence goes unnoticed. I think if you’ve been actively emulating say Salvador Dali, then he’s probably not really influenced you, as much as say an artist whose approach you disagree with.
I showed some people your works and they say that they look so perfect that they look like digital paintings. Have you been told of similar things before and how do you feel about such words? I certainly take it as a compliment. Personally I don’t think they are that refined.
Your works have been recognised both locally and internationally. For someone of your age to have achieved that, I would say it is quite a feat. How did you manage that? To me, recognition is a jellyfish — its pretty but better observed behind glass — and don’t even think about cuddling it. These kinds of things are always a mystery. I mean, let’s say if things go really south one day, the question “how did I manage to fuck things up so bad?” would still be very difficult to answer even with the clarity of hindsight. That said, I am thankful for the partnership with the galleries I’ve worked with, and the press/publication coverage that I’ve been very
To me, recognition is a jellyfish — it is pretty but better observed behind glass — and don’t even think about cuddling it.
Remember to quieten down the mind. Sometimes, let your hands and heartbeat guide you. Be very attentive to the medium which you work with, it wants you to treat it in a certain way that is unique to you. fortunate to have received. It is impossible to repay the people who have opened up doors for me. Furthermore, one never really knows extent of one’s popularity and the extent of which people go to support you. The dynamics between people who support and work against me are very much beyond my control.
As a layman, I have always been curious about artists management by art galleries. How do they work and how has your experience been like? Generally, it feels quite unregulated, everyone has different practices and each artist’s experience with their gallerist is different, even within the same gallery. My experience has been fairly mild, no terribly exciting stories or scandals—yet.
What advice would you give to an aspiring artist in Singapore? The gift of being able create something which makes you more complete without external validation is the first thing to be thankful for. Very few things come close to the importance of this. Remember to quieten down the mind. Sometimes, let your hands and heartbeat guide you. Be very attentive to the medium which you work with, it wants you to treat it in a certain way that is unique to you. Money is always an issue when you are starting out. Be prepared to take losses. Know that practicing art full-time is a choice you need to make with conviction. Only you will know how much time you need to devote to your practice. You need to find ways to acquire what you need while questioning if you really need them. You can take baby steps, perhaps juggling part-time work will relief psychological stress, as long as you can multi-task. If you’re prepared to dive into full-time art, remember that setbacks and failures are not indicators of your worth as an artist or a person. They are merely circumstances that can be worked around. It is important to keep up your practice regardless of its scale, use it or you lose it. Don’t second guess yourself in the middle of execution. Do whatever you’re doing with conviction. Finish the painting, then finish a series. Try not to be distracted while you’re building up a series. Sometimes we need to amass a body of work to get a better perspective of where we are headed. Having a consolidated body of work is important. Curators, clients and gallerists want to have a better idea of your entire practice. Keep your chin up, surround yourself in good company, take care of your peers and just enjoy yourself. — V
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When he is not flying a plane, Shawn Ingkiriwang heads the Taman Jurong CACC – where he works with a committee to plan community programs and art events for residents and people from all walks of life. interview by Tan Jiahui
Care to share what CACC and also the committee do? In Taman Jurong CACC we strive to promote the Arts and Cultural and Heritage activities in the community. To create a conducive environment for the Arts to develop in the community level, strengthen our culture and better understand our Heritage.
but to formalise and institutionalize creativity is ironic to start. I believe that creating a conducive environment to promote creativity and innovative will ensure our success and this culture requires time to develop. It requires an initial momentum, structures and processes to start the cycle to better improve our current environment for creativity. To develop a generation
What was the motivating factor that helped you decide to volunteer for CACC? I always wanted to volunteer but never had the opportunity till late. I was overseas for an extended period of time from 2002 to 2010. Nearly 8 years. So when I finally settled down back in Singapore after years overseas pursing my degree and flying training, I decided to volunteer in Taman Jurong. If you ask why Taman Jurong, Taman Jurong has a unique demographic and there are many families in transition in TJ who could need a hand or two. Volunteering in Taman Jurong has been a learning journey, to better understandand empathise with families who face different challenges in life. We do our best.
How do you perceive creativity in Singapore? I think Singapore is a very creative society. I think we are more creative than we give ourselves credit for. We are a unique country with unique set of challenges and we have been able to met those challenges with unique and creative solutions till today. And above all, we have the gumption to execute these solutions to progress as a nation. However, we must create more space for development and growth for the Arts, Culture, and Innovation in our society. Only with these creative and innovative ideas can be truly define who we are and how unique we are as Singaporeans.
How has it evolved over the years since your childhood till now – both as a society and also the level of appreciation from the people? I think creativity and being innovative is closely linked to how we are being brought up at home and educated in school. There must be enough space for everyone to develop and to celebrate innovation and creativity. The successful entrepreurers in the world are usually those who do not conform in school or in society. They are very comfortable with themselves, very confident and they do not seek refugee by conforming or become part of the “cool” group in school. They define themselves and pursue their beliefs and never let anyone else define what they should do in life and how they should behave. However, I must caveat that it must not be done in extremity as a level of conformity is required to ensure law and order, basic respect for one another for a peaceful and harmonious society.
Have you heard of the term “soft power?” Do you think our nation is working towards that? Soft or Hard Power. These are only tools in a bag. When we develop freindships, relationships, formal or informal ones, we are constantly using different tools to engage different situations and people, to enhance collaboration and develop a common shared vision. I have a few good friends who I cherish and care for. Sometimes we have to encourage and motivate one another to pursue our dreams and aspirations. Other sometimes, we have to be blunt and harsh with our comments, to be pragmatic to make sure that your friend stays out of trouble. Most importantly, we must continue to care for one another and share a common vision. For everyone to have an equal opportunity to live life to the fullest.
In my opinion, the government has been nothing but helpful in giving out funds and grants to support creative ideas and proposals. How important do you think it is for our growth as a society? Government support is essential in developing a creative and innovative society. It emphasizes the continued importance in developing our culture and history. Many important art pieces today were at a point in time commissioned by the government. From symphonies, paintings and sculptures. This provided the emphasis and encouraged many others to pursue their own passion for the Arts and Music. Today, we will need individuals, organisations and the government to continue efforts in developing and sustaining this creative and innovative environment.
The recent celebration of Our Museum @ Taman Jurong 1st Anniversary drew a huge crowd. How successful was the event and have you spoken to any residents who attended the event about it? The recent celebration was successful because of the participation by the residents. Many art workshops and booths were by the residents for the residents. This is what we envision community art to be. We want to enhance the interaction and engagement within the community, to develop closer relationships and understanding. With that, a truly cohesive and harmonious society can be forged.
If given unlimited budget and resources, what would one thing that CACC and you would do? Do you feel that it is important for creative education and also the appreciation for the arts? Why? How does one define creative education? It is an interesting concept
More Art, Music, Cultural programs and initiatives for more individuals in the community to pursue their passion. — V
TJCC MUSEUM OPENING
Soft or Hard Power. These are only tools in a bag. When we develop freindships, relationships, formal or informal ones, we are constantly using different tools to engage different situations and people, to enhance collaboration and develop a common shared vision.
TJCC MUSEUM OPENING
Indifference towards people and the reality in which they live is actually the one and only cardinal sin in design.
Many years ago a talented young man designed a logo that became something every child and adult in Singapore could identify with. We spoke to Lai Chee Kien, practising artist and architect.
interview by Tan Jiahui
The Popular Logo has been synonymous with almost every child and adult who has grown up in Singapore. Could you tell us the story behind this work of yours? The logo was mainly trying to tie in two concepts of “people” with “books”. The book store had previously been using just a text logo prior to the competition, but in classical Chinese script. In simplified script, the word “popular” in Chinese comprises three persons “人／众”. By using a graphic form of “众” I made each “人” look like an opened book, with all three intersecting to still look like the word for “popular” or “crowd”. The idea was a place of many people and many books. The choice of the colour red was to continue with what the store had used in its previous logo. I had submitted the logo design without a square frame, with just the graphic character. In many versions used by the book store, they added a frame, but it was not in the original design. — V
POPULAR PHOTOS
POPULAR PHOTOS
Tamares Goh is an artist and also a Curator at the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, where she co-leads the visual arts programme and is the fundamental team member for events such as the Mosaic Music Festival and Tapestry of Sacred Music. Goh is also involved in tribute.sg, a repository for the arts in Singapore. interview by Tan Jiahui
Tell me more about this space. So this place is not uh in actual fact, the whole of esplanade will disperse around design and propose as a performing arts centre. So there was not any designated visual arts space. It wasn’t designed as a designated visual arts space with revenue. So this space happen only after all the premise have built. And we decide that because visual arts is also integral an experience and halls are let out. Concert halls are not 24/7. You can’t have programs here 24/7 for the public at the theatre. So a real programme to public is actually the visual arts programme. We have programmes almost every day of the year. Not necessarily in the gallery but also in the art spaces. Each year we have about 8 shows in this gallery. In every 4 to 6 weeks there’s a changeover. It is all according to the theme of that season. For example, this is in conjunction with malay festival of arts. Sometimes at the end of the year we have a more contemplative sort of exhibition. Or during Chinese festival of arts, we have something that is more Chinese. In conjunction with Chinese festival but music music festival more in conjunction with music. These really artists gather relating to such themes to create. So everything is what in tangent. So it’s not so disparate you see, it’s not like all. How come I come Malay festival of arts but when I come here it’s like Chinese, Chinese painting. The other words are all in public spaces. I will show you in abit.
Where did you have your education? I went to Glasgow after Singapore in Lasalle. Then, I was taking a diploma. Lasalle offered a scholarship. I studied my degree based on that scholarship. A few people got together on the scholarship front and after that I stayed in Lasalle to teach for a few years. I was also practicing as an artist. Soon I got a scholarship to Glasgow to do my Masters.
Comparatively, are there like any differences in experiences overseas for like the appreciation of arts. I think we have discussed abit during our classes but are there any major or very visible differences? Of course, of course. When I was there as a student, it was almost like I was loved by everyone from the streets. There will be some old people sitting on the bus chatting with me. They will ask me where I was from and I would say Singapore. They asked what I was doing there and I said I was studying in the Glaslow School of Arts. “Ohhh you’re very special.” I mean of course I was a full time artist already but as a student when I was there, I was already well-loved by the local community. Let alone if Im practicing as an artist and I have an exhibition. It’s like people almost accept me anyway. Even if I were to do whatever medium. If I were to do drawing, photography, I felt that I was already welcomed and even when I was at the very first week
when I was there I was told to participate in some group exhibition. And even though I was not British, they put me under the category “British Young Artists”. Here we are almost very conscious of the nationality. If you are from China and you come here and you make your art, your voice is still from China. There is this kind of distinct barrier. It was less obvious over there. I didn’t even feel that I needed to make work that was representative immediately on my culture. I just went there and I just made work as I am. Over here, I feel that it is the reverse. I needed to talk more about my identity and things like that. And I realize it still at that point where a lot of discussion is about finding identity and things you know.
Why are Singaporeans a bit more hesitant and cautious about art and everything? I can think of two things immediately. One is about getting used to. I think a lot of things are being sheltered. They are not being exposed to the public. For example if you have art everywhere and over a long period of time, I think people can accept things because anything that is kind of new or behind glass doors intimidates the public. And also in Europe, you have a longer history of people already accepting the arts. You know art is on the streets, buskers are everywhere, people chalk draw on the streets everywhere. It is almost like a part of lifestyle. It is integrated to life. The second reason I think that is happening in this climate is that while there are a lot of art activities happening at the moment, and people take some time getting used to everything. I think at the end of the day. the art community is not very big. The common folk do not really treat it as a kind of lifestyle and are not readily come forward to attend these events. Then again this is subjective and of course gradually improving. So anyway the thing is in Singapore, a lot of works are still very based on identity or at least to me, need to have something to do with heritage and culture. However the truth is, expression through art is about self-expression and individualism. Somehow the scene or the culture in Singapore has this need to create this identity. But what is it? Why do you think that art has involve a cultural heritage in Singapore? I think it is not the artists really because artists can make everything but artists like the more popular ones. For example, if I am a collector, I need to know what is so special about the work I am looking at. It cannot be that universal because it will not be that different. Prices of Singaporean art pieces are not the cheapest in Southeast Asia. I need to know what I am I buying into. So if I am buying into this cultural artist who talks about this cultural identity, at least I am buying into something. So that creates an art market.. Are you saying sometimes we are feeding commercialisation?
TAMARES PHOTO
Somehow, but not all artists react to it. I think a lot of art are still very pure in Singapore. While some might be talking about identity and everything, it is not necessarily a bad thing because that is what they are interested in. A lot of them are talking about very personal works as well. Many others are talking about very universal works. For example, I am a very pure artist then it might turn out kind of sad because in order to get the commission or high cheques kind of stuff, I sort of deviate from what my concept is.
As an artist, do you think there is a difference between art and design? I like to say that in design you are using the most succinct kind of language to communicate. Less is always more in design for me. It needs to be really acute. I think in terms of making art, it does not have to be that way. I think that is the primary difference between the both. I mean, a lot of it is also about definition. I’m not that interested in definition. I am more interested in blurring definitions rather than defining them.
I have visited to a few museums in the west. This is a personal observation but I would say children over there visit museums more than our kids over here. Do you think it has to do with family or societal education?
TAMARES PHOTO
When you are a kid, it is ironic because we were taught to be free, expressive and everything but as we grow up, we sort of stereotype the expression, There is a kind of conformity. Definition is a huge problem. I think you know the fact that we are categorized to do things from age 2-4, 4-6, 6-10 and so on. I think this is sort of definition and categorization. I think that for the kids, their senses are very different. They explore things in a very different way. The idea is to get them to explore. And when they explore, they teach us how to explore. We should learn from kids. Like you know, a lot of writers always say, Picasso would say you learn from children. I think we should just break down barriers rather than create barriers. There seems to be a lot of definitions and too many groupings and it seems to be getting worse. Almost as if it is getting too protective of kids learning things um.
I put it on artists to give reflections – whether it is universal or personal. There is a theme you want to talk about.
So why is there such a notion for or responsibility for our artists? Hmm.. that is a pretty tough question. I never really thought about it.
Okay.. It comes from within, it does not really a thought that you guys go about thinking whether, the themes come from within yourselves, addressing a social issue la. There’s not, you, like there’s not really a thought whether _ should address this or that. It’s kind of an expression.
How do you think our society’s communal spirit is devleoping? It is like, I really want to say hi to my neighbors but nobody wants to say hi to me. *Laughs* The Toa Payohs, and all, where they used to have lots of towns on the outside because when they move a kampong over, they still have that kind of mentality. You know that people talk on the corridor, or they barter a bit, your chilli.. give you my lime and things like that. But not the newer estates, they tend to shut their doors and you don’t even know the neighbors but that is also the construct I don’t know whether you’ve read the book Invisible Cities by um, Calbino. Actually it talks about Venice. About how cities are built. It also dictates the way you process your thoughts. So one of the comparison between an older estate and a younger one is quite interesting.
Do you think it is ever possible to bring well-curated art to the heartlands? Yes. To arouse curiosity, you have to bring let people know of its existence.
And letting them learn what they want to.. Yes but a lot is also based on sensory because we are not like this. Because of the way the city is not constructed. We are not free to roam about like back then when it was just an old kampong where everyone was at ground level. You get more attuned to things and you mix with kids who are from every backgroun. Now it is very definitive. It is a form of social construct as well.
Do you think that art and creativity in Singapore is very exclusive?
Did the way of you growing up or your environment impact or influence the way you deal with art and creativity? I was brought up as an only child so I think I was left a lot on my own. I was listening to music that no one was listening to. I was already buying records at a very young age and I didn’t expect. I was just my own. I used to really write a lot. So I think that gave me a sense of being an individual. I was not breathed down by my parents which was very good. I paid through my own school fees all the way by working part-time everywhere. I was working in Kristy’s. I was working in all sorts of waitressing jobs. Once I stayed in a caravan for three months and I just travelled around on my own.
I think it is at the moment, I think it is.
You mentioned about societal construct. I think that is because of the social construct and the cultural construct as well. I do not know how that can be reversed but I think we are gradually getting influences from many places. Take japan for instance, in my recollection, I doubt there is any scenario on the streets where you have, for example you have a bar that is for adults things like that and you are told what to do and what not to. You know whether you want to go in or not. Here we seem to be almost protected, you can’t watch this, you can’t see this...the protection level is really high.
Do you think there is a prevalent notion that creative people have to do something for the society? Do you think we have that extra weight on our shoulders?
Last question. What do you see as the future of Singapore’s art scene? What do you see or hope for? I hope to see more individual people arising, people talking about different topics.
Such as? We are always revolving around the same topics. Um, topics that I wouldn’t know of? I think the artists are there. I think there is quite a variety of artists albeit some less prominent than others. We see proposals on a very frequent basis, very interesting artworks, people who has not gone through art education, but very interesting as well. But it is also the administratives who are deciding these artworks. In Singapore there are very little curators like myself so I tend to form a good rapport with artists because I know we don’t need to start from square one. We understand each other. — V
Good design alone will not save mankind Good design will help us to communicate with one another about the realities of our environment Where we now speak in alien tongues
HOME MADE GOODNESS We speak to home chefs Linus and Clay on /
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We speak to Jonathan Yuen, a mutli-disciplinary designer and Creative Director of design studio Roots. interview by Tan Jiahui
How did you get started in this industry? I started in 2002 when I first graduated from KL, Malaysia. When I started work it was during the boom in the dot com period. I was in a digital advertising agency for about eight months before knowing that my career was not going anywhere. I got a chance to get interviewed here in Singapore at a studio called Formulate. Everything went well and I moved to Singapore. I worked for two and a half years and went to Kinetic for 7.5 years. After that I decided to go on my own.
With the rise of independent studios in Singapore, what is the differentiating factor of your studio? It is really exciting to see the rise of so many studios in Singapore. You can easily set up your studio, with the easiest set up being working from home. It is quite exciting. For Roots, I try to focus on idea-based designs instead of just having attractive aesthetics. We always try to have an interesting angle to ideation so if you check our works, you will see we try to approach every communication message in a different way. I guess that is what sets us apart.
Do you have any advise to the current generation of designers who are going to enter the industry? The industry is getting tougher everyday. We have thousands of new graduates everywhere but there is only a certain number of jobs available. It is either you go on your own or you fight for the few spots. Working hard is definitely one of the most important point. When you start out, how you approach your environment is key. I receive a lot of resumes all the time and to me, the presentation of work is very important. Many people do not show their best work and even when they do show their best work, they tend to also include the not so good stuff. You have to show your true self worth. People have to be more personal and pro-active. People forward resumes like “to whom it may concern” and “dear madam/sir”. Things like these make a difference. I am really looking forward to see people who really want to work with us. My designer Xin Yi – she has the simplest cover letter and resume but her work really shows. It shows her sensitivity and approach to ideas. I offered her an internship and now she is working with us full time.
What would you share with designers who are looking to go independent? I think that you have to be prepared that you might not have work.You have to be mentally prepared that if all else fails, you have to seek employment again. Before you start, you need to have enough reserves both financially and emotionally. Try to start small. It is always okay to start small and build from there instead of thinking too big. The more important thing is to understand if you are a good businessperson. If not you have to find someone who is good in dealing with business to take charge of that aspect for you.
To be honest I do not have a definite formulated answer. I am still trying to figure out the best way and learning the ropes through ups and downs everyday. That is why the studio is still small. Things that do not work help me realize what works better. If you ask me 3 years later, I might have a very different answer.
Where do you think the design scene in Singapore is now? We have definitely come a long way. It is really exciting. There are a lot of people doing really interesting work. I consider myself fortunate to see all these great works. I am just very happy to be in this era. At this time we also have a sense of community. There are a lot of collaborations and self-initiatives. It is a very nice feeling.
How about the future? Flying cars.
The design scene! I don’t know. I guess as we are expanding globally, the design standard will mature and improve constantly. You can see our works award internationally and being recognized in publications. There are many good works coming out and things are looking good. Hopefully we can be seen in a creative hub?
What projects you have always wanted to do but have never got a chance? Olympics. It would be great. It is a highlight. You are doing something for the world. You are set on the global stage.
How about your favorite piece so far? Definitely the fruit posters. I was approached to do some posters on local fruits by my close friend. I think it is something really interesting. This exhibition comes across as something very honest and also something from my home country, Malaysia. I wanted to do something very simple but does not prove anything. So I decided think about the colors and textures. And I really enjoyed the product. How are you looking to progress Roots?
I am definitely happy with what we have now. Moving forward is where I guess we can grow to a size where we have sufficient number of people so that I do not have to be a one man show where it can be rather tiring. I always feel new. I still have not have done many things to the level I should be doing. I look back at every project and learn what I could have done better. That motivates me everyday. Also like I said, I hope we grow to a size where I don’t have to handle the business anymore and can just focus on the creative side of things.
This actually brings us to the next question. Do you think it is important for designers to learn the business side of things? How do you recharge your creativity and learning process? Definitely. If I run my studio, if I don’t think like a businessman, I won’t think I am still here. If I am doing design and running a studio, I have to understand ways to monetize it and think of ways of selling it as a service and pitch it as a business. Clients will understand that. So how do you balance between being a designer and a businessman?
I am never tired of the learning process. Instead the more I learn the more I feel I do not know many things. In terms of creativity, I try not to burn out in a sense that I try see every new project is a recharge. As every project is different, I get excited by the prospects of approaching a new brief everytime.
ROOTS PHOTO
ROOTS PHOTO
ROOTS PHOTO How do you protect your intellectual property? For pitches, we always have a clause that whatever is presented is still owned by the studio unless the client has signed on the work with us. We also reserve the rights to show in our portfolio. If people really want to take your work, there is only so much you can do.
What qualities do you look for in your employee? Firstly, diligence. If you are not diligent, it does not matter how talented you are. Secondly it is your ability and talent. The third thing is the respect for one another.
The whole subconscious and unseen process is an idea. That is the most important thing. If not you are just putting things without reason. It can be visually stimulating but will it withstand time? I have seen this quote before – “there are no bad clients, only bad communication”. Do you agree with it? There are definitely bad clients. It is inherently human to have different character traits and some people are nastier than others. I have been very fortunate as all my clients have been nothing but kind to me. My approach is always to see them as collaborators. They tell me what their business is all about and I will share with them what I can do from a design point of view. Often they say that from a business point of view, what I said does not make sense and slowly we learn to find common ground. I am happy because we learn something in the process.
What are the probable differences between being a designer in your generation and those who are fresh out of school? Definitely more hunger. They have more access to everything. They see a lot more things than when I was their age. There is no where I can access such stuff at my age and they are very exposed to many things. The worrying thing is that there is a spike in “style-wars”. It is like a deja-vu as in my time it was David Carson. People are breaking type apart now. Things are starting to look the same. Is individualism still apparent? That is why to me, ideas are always more important.
You mentioned about seeing similarities. I feel that there is a dangerous trend going on where designers just go onto the web and search for a certain keyword and approach the project with the visuals that are already in place. They get fixated on the things already done and things begin to look all the same. If this goes on, every client can do what we do and we will become just tools instead of thinkers or even go extinct.
Whether it is me or Xin Yi, I will tell her to think of the idea first. You can just draw a circle and explain to me what the concepts are. Design is the arrangement of elements. How you place things is informed, controlled and governed by why you do things and that.
You brought up collaboration and community. Do you think we can bring this to a more international level instead of just being amongst ourselves? It depends on who are the people who wants to do something. It takes time and a lot of effort and energy for the people who are involved. We are still very infant but there are a lot of people with plans. The future is bright.
I have read about you and there are people saying that your work is very you. Also, you come across to me as a very contented person – appreciating your life, your wife, your wife’s cooking, your cat. Simple contentment. Firstly, I do not come from a wealthy family. I come from a lowermiddle income background. The best things my parents taught me are to be honest and hardworking. They work very hard and they are very happy people and happy with what they have. That is the most important thing. I always tell myself what I have is more that what I need. I have a house to go back to. I love my wife. I love my wife’s cooking. When I have time I play with my cat. I get to open my own studio. I have my friends. What more do I want? — V
family portrait
papa
mama
korkor
meimei
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A Walking Toast piece is more than just an accessory; it is the embodiment of uniqueness and elegance. To Qiao Yi and Chui Shan, they are designing exquisite diminutive delights for a woman to express her individuality. interview by Tan Jiahui | images courtesy of TWT
Firstly, two of you have your day jobs. What do you girls do? CS: I am a project engineer by day. But you can’t say that engineering and jewellery craftwork don’t go together because they absolutely does. It is all about designing.
Why did you girls (with reference to previous question if it has any relationships) choose to work on jewellery craft?
QY: I do marketing, campaigns and adhoc events.
CS: It is our appreciation for well-made objects and our love for details, especially when unrelated items come together to form a brand new adornment, the satisfaction we get out of this is immense and inspiring altogether.
Why the name?
Is it, in your opinion, a saturated market or there is more to it?
CS & QY: The Walking Toast came about almost just randomly. We are a big fan of toasts, they are the comfort food. We like the idea that toasts could represent most people’s daily grind, and our jewellery their almost daily routine. ‘Walking’ was there to provide the ‘recall’ factor, that we’ll need the customers to tell us. Well it’s quite funny to imagine toasts walking too.
QY: We have yet to explore much opportunities in this market, but I’m positive that there is so much more that we could do to fill the gap.
CS you draw quite a bit. And then you dabble with jewellery craft. Would you describe yourself as an artist trapped in a wrong body? What about QY?
QY: It is very encouraging, especially when most of the non-locals thought our education system to be very stifling. I mean not all of us grow up to be lawyers, doctors and accountant, so it’s def very inspiring to know that we can actually be good in the artistic area too! I’d love to meet or work with them in the future.
QY: I am no artist as compared to CS. I have a galaxy of ideas but have absolute zero talent in translating those into words nor artwork hahaha... would prefer to work with sewing machines instead of pens and paper. CS: I enjoy being in engineering, and I enjoy art the same. I believe that I may not make quite the artist that people perceived that I be if I were to be in art solely. My mind can be quite stubborn at times, doing a bit of art stretch that, I like it. I can have a lot of far-fetched strange thoughts, and doing engineering could have tamed that too.
Share with us the story of how TWT was formed (has it been brewing for years and you girls finally got down to it or was it an epiphany in the shower?) CS & QY: It all started with us complaining as usual. Clothing and accessories very much not to our liking. We alter our clothes a lot to change them to designs we prefer, we add or remove whatever we don’t need on our accessories. We swoon over some of the items other countries offer and not here in Singapore. If we can change or make things that we like, why not? It can be quite frustrating to have some designs on our mind but we don’t see them anywhere here. And if we could do our own pieces, or bring them from abroad, why not?
What is your perception of the rise of local craftsmen in recent years and is it a good thing?
CS: To me, crafting is a very sincere job and I respect all who does this well. It requires a lot of effort, patience and time in arriving at new designs. We love to see more embarking on this, we shouldn’t just allow those few to dictate or control the market.
The way you package and brand TWT has a certain unique sense of aesthetics to it. Is there any thought processes and intentions behind it that you can share? CS: We look at making things simple, that is our only objective when it comes to designing the web or shooting our accessories. Besides, I think it is also the fact that both of us loved taking pictures, and we happened to be comfortable with each other’s way and style of presenting what we see to our audience.
How do you see craft businesses like TWT evolving with the market and times in the coming years? CS: We actually observed that people now value handmade goods more now compared to years back. To consumers, with more of craft businesses flourishing, it also means more choices for them. To businesses like TWT, new and better products will definitely be sprouting, it is a positive competition. And we definitely have bigger plans for TWT. — V
TWT PHOTO
A visual communicator by training, Ryan Len is an artist, designer, and investigator based in Singapore. interview by Tan Jiahui
Tell us more about yourself and what you do. My name is Ryan, and I am a design artist based in Singapore. I am currently a one man team specializing in branding, design, content creation and curation. Being multidisciplinary has enabled me to take on a diverse range of projects. As a curator, I am always interested in creating content that sparks a dialogue, and bringing Singapore design out to the world. During my free time, I like to take on personal projects as they are as critical to commercial work, and it allows me to explore, innovate, and grow as an individual.
You describe yourself as a Design Artist. What are your perceptions towards these two entities and how do you draw or blur the line between them? I like to constantly reinvent myself. Straddling between different disciplinary allows me to explore and find new ways and perspective of doing things. For me, Design serves a purpose and function while Art does not need to — that’s how I draw my line between them.
What is a personal favourite piece of work that you have done? Describe a typical day, if any. Wake up — Coffee — Facebook — Twitter — Instagram — Emails — Design — Lunch — Procrastination — Facebook — Twitter — Instagram — Design — Meetings — Emails — Dinner — Design — Facebook — Twitter — Instagram — Dramas — Movies — Bed — Repeat
I see that you are quite an explorer yourself. What do you think of the importance of visual archival? (photographs of places, moments things etc) Visual archival plays a very important part of my life. It serves as a memory portal for me to look back at important moments and documents places that will soon cease to exist in the near future.
Which leads me to my next question. I have seen people being so caught up in the moment to capture the moment for future throwback moments but have forgotten to really experience the surroundings and moment. What do you think of it? I feel that technology has made us cold. Any amount of visual archiving to me is hypocritical if we have not truly experience the moment. It’s always about finding the balance between experiential and visual archival. If it’s a moment that you truly like, I urge you to put away your camera and just stay in the moment. Apart of visual archival, do you think physical archival is crucial? Singapore is starved of space and if we are preserving every architecture, it means we do not have much space for new ones in the future. How do you think a balance can be struck? While I feel growth is good, physical archival is crucial, especially those with significant memories and unique architecture. A balance can be struck by revisiting urbanism and giving the spaces second life instead of levelling it and making a new space out of it.
There isn’t a personal favourite piece of work. I like all my works and I feel that everyone should feel the same too. A mentor once told me: “The last thing you want is to look back at your portfolio and feel it was a bad piece of work that you are not proud of. Why would you want to produce a piece of work you are not proud of and waste your time doing it?” This piece of advice stuck with me whenever I approach a new work.
Share the thought process behind your creative ideation and execution as you approach every brief. I like to approach my works in the most simple and and cost effective way, while maintaining relevance and maximum impact. I usually start with mindmapping as it helps me break down the brief. After looking through every possibilities and expansion of ideas, the process moves on to visual moodboards and sketches. The execution comes in only after most of the ideation is finalized.
I see a trend in this digital era where creatives simply Google or go to design blogs while seeking inspiration even before doing any sketches. Sometimes the results all look generic to me. What do you think of this? I do agree that sometimes the results all look generic. Technology has made it too easy to share ideas and seek inspiration. We should all take a step back and start the ideation process with simple mindmapping and sketches even before embarking on the digital world for inspirations. — V
RYAN LEN PHOTO
Captivated by the energy of nature in its epic depths and simplicity, we sat down with Ael Lim, founder of Imagine Tattoo in his studio which exudes organicism to learn about his perceptions towards ink and society. interview by Tan Jiahui | photography by Kuoloon Chong
Tell us about yourself as a person and also how you took up this profession I am trained in 3D Multimedia Design. I got into tattooing after serving my National Service. It has never dawned on me that I would take up tattooing in my life but it was a period of boredom. I went to ask me friends for contacts to get a tattoo apprenticeship. I was pretty lucky to be accepted and things went pretty smoothly until today. I have never quite looked back since.
I am not very familiar with the practice in the tattooing world though I have heard about the apprenticeship that you also brought up previously. How is an apprenticeship like? Usually some tattoo artists charge a fee for teaching and so it can amount up to a pretty hefty sum to be someone’s apprentice. Many apprentice simply stay by the side of their teacher hoping to learn some skills. This also requires a lot of self commitment and conviction to follow through, which usually requires years.
Who were you under? I was under this guy called Uncle Wang from a studio called Skin Design at Katong Plaza. The shop is no longer around as he is already too old and has found something else to do.
With quite a legion of followers and appreciators, how would you describe your style? Did pursuing a style bring you to where you are today? I guess it is my love for detail and realism that sets me apart. I have strong observation for expression in portraiture. That is where I tend to love more. I find myself enjoy it more and for something that you enjoy, you tend to do it better.
With your own studio, you are not only an artisan but also a businessman. How do you separate your business and creative minds? You have to choose only one side. You have to be very skillful in shifting the weightage of importance. As we grow older, different priorities weight differently. Focus on your art and your art will do well. Put your heart in where your art is and it gradually will transform your business into a structure. Things sometimes come in a full circle.
In terms of creativity as a society, where do you think Singapore is? It is slowly absorbing influences from other countries. We are opening up slowly. Maybe they are pressurized since we are a “First Class Nation”. That makes us have to evolve into a more open-minded place as we begin to question ourselves and develop ourselves.
Did you love art and drawing since you were young? Oh yes. Since I was pretty young. I started drawing in Primary School. Since a young age I knew I had to do something about art.
How about the level of tattooing in Singapore as compared internationally?
If you are not a tattoo artist today, what do you think you will be?
We have some really good local artists that I believe is on par with the international standards. It is just that we do not get enough exposure as compared to other countries. They have many more conventions and workshops than us. Things are not going to happen so soon yet.
Probably a freelance designer or an in-house designer. Maybe I will be pursuing a Fine Arts course or even start my own T-Shirt label. It will still be related to creative work.
What goes everyday to recharge your creativity? What are the things that you look out for that inspires you? Basically I feel it is about trying to look at everyday life and observe nature and your surroundings. When it comes down to your work, you just want to input special. It may sometimes be similar, but every execution will be different. Inspiration can come from everywhere. Sometimes a walk in the park, sometimes by observing people, sometimes looking at how people on the streets dress, or even by looking at how shapes come about. Anything can inspire me. It is a very introspective relationship.
How do you describe your personal workspace? I feel that my workspace is like a workshop that is like an animal. It is alive and organic. Things are moving around and things are always growing. Everything is shifting and changing. There is a very strong energy within this space. To me, a space should not be just too flat and well-displayed.
Is there anything in life that has really inspired you? As an artist, you need to have a level of sensitivity towards many aspects of life. This level of sensitivity is embedded to us that makes us develop differently from the rest. Be it childhood, teenage-hood or family background, we see and feel things differently. Maybe things made me a more observant person – towards little things like colors, forms, shapes and even human expressions. As I progressed as a kid, such things developed inherently within me even up till today.
As a tattoo artist, you have many tattoos on yourself. How do you select your own tattoos? I do not really have a theme. I try to be as organic as possible. As events and encounters happen in our lives. When I feel the need to document that event or phase of life with a symbol, picture or word, I do it. I guess it is about understanding that life is a journey and throughout this journey I get to collect pieces of artwork with me. Without any total clue about the end result of this journey, I guess this spontaneity represents how I perceive life – things change, plans deviate. Always expect the unexpected. Be flexible. — V