Education is a lifelong process. “They said I’d have trouble getting work and convinced me to focus on design instead.” Obstacle 6. Currently pursuing a MFA degree with LASSALE College of the Arts, Zero was the recipient of the National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award in 2013. People who say they are conceptual artists or performance artists are branding themselves to museums and galleries without realising it,” he says. And just like that, Zero landed his first job. Yip's original mural did not include the puppets " these were added only after a passer-by shared his stories and some old photos of the puppet seller. “Recently I had a gallery show, as part of my Masters of Fine Arts, where I staged graffiti and reframed it. He was inspired by comics like GILA-GILA magazine, a Malaysian version of MAD magazine.

The self-taught artist has, since 2015, created more than 70 murals across Singapore. If you weren’t achieving in those areas, you didn’t get much attention. The trail comprises four works, including a mural with augmented reality features and an art installation inspired by the estate’s hilly terrain. Give me a giant wall on the side of the building like you see elsewhere in the world. Obstacle 4.

04/03/2020 12:00 am. “The moment I saw his mural of a pigeon wearing headphones, I knew I wanted to give Ravi a painting done by him, and I spent three months tracking him down.”, (RELATED: Fernando Botero on the universal appeal of his voluptuous figures and art’s role in affecting world affairs), Given his audacious style, Turner admits she was surprised to learn Zero was a Singaporean artist. “He sat on the desk to take a nap and told us to draw what we saw…,” says Zero, “…so I did.” And in so doing, Zero proved he possessed creative talent, went on to become one of Singapore’s best known street artists, has been featured in urban publications, lauded in local art circles, displayed in galleries, is the only street artist in Singapore to receive the National Art Council’s Young Artist Award, now teaches at LASALLE College of the Arts and most recently completed his Masters degree…Well, it didn’t go down quite like that, there were a few other obstacles to overcome along the way to street art success. Dip in Visual Communications 2000, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore. No part of this writing may be reprinted, reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including printing, recording or information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission in writing from the curators or artists. This annual art festival was started in 2015 to showcase the rich heritage of the Little India through art installations and activities.

For Singapore street artist Zero, the founder of the RSCLS collective, that obstacle came in the shape of an out-of-shape high school teacher who was more interested in getting some shut eye than teaching an art class. While his work and practice has enjoyed increasing recognition by the institutions of art, the nature of the art his practice espouses remains variously contested, co-opted and marginalised. “I first saw his work at Neon Pigeon, where I was having dinner with a friend,” says Turner.

"Many of the artists involved in Artwalk Little India are LaSalle students and alumni and have personal ties with Little India," says Milenko Prvacki, a senior fellow at LaSalle. It’s so vibrant, so colourful,” says Thakran, who has been living in Singapore since 1994. In questing and questioning perhaps we arrive at the place we’re meant to be. After years of despairing behind a desk in corporate jobs as a Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa)-trained graphic designer, Othman decided he wanted to do something that was wholly his own. Still, while attitudes towards street art have become more positive, the laws have yet to catch up. I think a lot of us are naturally creative. Except that this piece wasn’t painted on a dusty wall in the back alley of a dicey Latin American neighbourhood. We can’t wait to share more awesome content with you. Preview: 22 March 2018, 6.30 pm – 8 pm. A pop-up photography exhibition will also be held in the void deck of Block 139 Petir Road. Gelam Gallery, in two back alleys near the majestic Sultan Mosque, is another Instagram magnet. I did not want to portray the same old narratives and visuals seen predominantly around the area," says Othman.

It was the first time someone had paid me to draw and it was the best $200 I ever earned.” But Zero didn’t consider entertaining the idea that he could make a career out of being an artist. And perhaps because his education was so hard fought, Zero understands his job as a Singapore street artist is not just about breaking ground on why street art is valid, but about breaking down cultural boundaries too.

“During my Maths O level examination, something inside me just snapped.

It’s hard to imagine that a country as conservative as Singapore would ever take the raw, undisciplined provocativeness of street art and graffiti seriously, but, thanks to the efforts and talents of Zul Othman, better known by his moniker Zero, it did. Everything can be hung properly and you can easily create a flow.

Two of the murals will also be painted in collaboration with residents.

“Even though I used graffiti from legal walls, some artists weren’t pleased. For enquiries, e-mail holly@artitudegaleria. The sacrifice his family made so he could attend NAFA is something he appreciates to this day. The project is titled The Outer Space, a playful pun on how it hopes to get people exploring everyday public spaces through street art.

For Zul, a recipient of the National Arts Council’s 2013 Young Artist Award, The Outer Space, is an invitation to Bukit Panjang’s residents to explore their surroundings, encounter art in unexpected spaces, and feel a sense of belonging and pride towards their neighbourhood.

I’d gotten into the skateboard scene by then, so we started designing logos and characters and screen-printing our own t-shirts. A decade later, his mural is still there " and now alongside lots of other public artwork in Singapore. Background Image by Patricia Chen. Zero could be forgiven for putting his feet up and kicking back like that teacher way back when, after dodging the debris on his path to becoming founder of RSCLS. They missed the point that graffiti doesn’t need to be permanent or public to be considered art. “My biggest known work is probably my portrait of Rajinikanth on Hindu Road. “Everyone does it. But Othman isn’t opposed to branding.

That project gave Zero a clearer insight and direction into what he felt he wanted his artistic career to be like. BUSTING THE GENREOthman aims to concentrate on street art, which is not limited to spray paint and lettering like graffiti is. I found another way of elevating what they do.”, “Even though I used graffiti from legal walls, some artists weren’t pleased. Combining realistic depictions of the modern world with splashes of fantastical elements, it is a visual representation of the literary genre popularised by Colombian novelist and Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez. You are unlikely to find the controversial murals with critical political messaging that you may see elsewhere " anyone caught creating such street art is prosecuted under the country's Vandalism Act of 1966, and may be fined, jailed or sentenced to caning, and the offending works are quickly removed. It made me realise how far we still have to come,” explains Zero. So Zero decided to fail. “Of all the art we own, I’m proudest of Zero’s work. “Working Class Hero [Rajinikanth]”, ARTWALK Little India, Singapore 2017. "Art should not only address the beautiful, but also the ugly, uncomfortable part of history and life," says Othman.

The Chinese landlord is happy now though.

In a candid blog post after the festival, MacGregor remarked then that he found it very strange painting a mural in Singapore, where "any kind of public art whatsoever is a rare sight". After moving to Singapore in 2009, the Briton worked as an art consultant and curator at Redsea Gallery here. “I’m not inspired to do things; I’m moved to do them. for attention. Zul Othman a.k.a.

“When I was younger, I had the option of taking a course in Sanskrit or commercial drawing and art. The Little India Association couldn’t agree more and gave Zero permission to paint the mural on a prominent wall. I was really into design and technical subjects but my grades were not good enough to pursue those subjects, so I was sidelined into an arts stream instead.” Obstacle 1. Give us a heads up on the topics that interest you: Stay up-to-date with the latest digital events and news, as we fondly look to the return of shows and performances! "With the help of some friends who spoke Tamil, Govindasamy told me about how his is one of the last few remaining traditional book stands around, and how he wanted to keep print alive to share with the community," says Lim. But despite commissions being offered, projects in the works, and a disappointing experience with educators, he hasn’t stopped learning and pushing boundaries. With legally sanctioned spaces for street art and the growing promotion of the artists behind them, Singapore is clearly making an effort to be progressive, but it’s not enough for him. "We have to follow the rules, it is Singapore after all," says Slacsatu, the founder of street art crew ZNC and one of the owners of The Black Book, Singapore's first physical graffiti store. But it wasn’t just a simple case of removing some furniture to make room for guests to walk around in and admire the art. We wanted to do bigger and better things, so he and I set up the RSCLS collective.” RSCLS is now a multi-disciplinary group who are passionate about their practice and developing a network of street artists across Asia, and using their collective might to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Things would be a struggle. Let the side of an HDB flat be painted by an artist and not a Bangladeshi recreating a design by the community,” he says. It was pretty intricate work,” explains Zero. Tags. It’s a counterculture to advertising. I am proud to see quality art produced here,” he says. Growing up in Singapore in the eighties and nineties was a bit challenging if you were an artist and if you were Malay. The 40-year-old founder of street art collectives RSCLS and ARTVSTS, as well as lecturer at Lasalle College of the Arts, became the first street artist in Singapore to be awarded the National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award in 2013. He started his first street art collective ARTVSTS with five of his Nafa batch mates in 2003.