Anyone who knows me knows I am a massive fan of street art. I personally enjoy street photography, so in a way, street art massively appeals to me. I seem to have this sixth sense for sniffing it out in the city that I live in or every new city I visit. I always find them in some very surprising locations. Through my travels I have to come to recognise the styles of some of the world’s better known artists, and found some new favourites along the way. For an added bonus, the relatively new Our Tampines Hub in Singapore has also provided some new street art gems, including work by a Singaporean artist, Ceno2. Ceno2 is, without doubt, one of my favourite street artists, and stumbling upon his art pieces while exploring a new mall was like finding the holy grail of street art. Whenever I make a wrong turn, will always result in finding something just as wonderful. I also spotted pieces by other artists like Chai Chee Seam and RSCLS, such as Zul Othman, who goes by the moniker Zero @zero_rscls, Adeline Tan @Mightyellow, Ink and Clog Studio and Wu Yanrong. I am drawn to street art because it is usually reflective of the personality or quirks of the neighborhood where it is located. Simply put, it conveys a vibrancy and a story of the community where it exists. Thus, by including it in my photos can give my viewers a look into the culture of the place and what it may be like to be in that particular setting. Welcome to Our Tampines Hub ! Just briefly about the new Our Tampines Hub for the benefit of fellow Singaporeans who are not aware - it is located at the heart of Tampines, designed uniquely for the residents of Tampines. The Hub provides a community space where residents can gather, interact and bond with each other within the community. Under one roof at this first ever hub in Singapore, residents of Tampines will enjoy dining and retail activities, sports, arts and culture - all of these as a community. Ceno2 is one of few household names in the Singaporean street-art scene. Although the artist Ceno2 is not a familiar face in Singapore, he is well known internationally, having done hundreds of graffiti artworks in cities such as Chicago and New York. TAPESTRY features four murals by four urban artists: Zul Othman, Adeline Tan, Wu Yanrong and collective Ink & Clog. The artwork represents a vibrant tapestry where diversity is woven and interconnected with a plurality that binds together different communities and strengthens rootedness and a sense of belonging. The mural will feature Our Tampines Hub’s 4 core pillars of Arts, Community, Lifestyle, and Sports and represents the nature of the hub as a centre for diverse activities that connects and threads communities. In the recent years especially since last year, I have become enamoured with capturing Singapore street art that surrounds and tells the story of each neighborhood. As Singapore is gentrifying rapidly, there is palpable evidence that the art telling the history of the diverse cultures here is being lost in exchange for new condos and developments. And, I realize that as a photographer, I am very much a tourist as I document and perceive what these pieces mean not only to the artists but to the communities that house them.
If you happen to be in the east area, do drop by at Our Tampines Hub, take a walk and experience the urban art work by Ceno2 and other community co-created visual arts projects. Some people are drawn to these art works for their colour and larger than life visuals. Apart from just looking aesthetically pleasing, street art is also filled with meaning — just like any other type of artwork. This makes it an interesting photography subject all on its own, even without adding a focal subject such as a person or an animal. I really love that for the fact street art is accessible to everyone ! If you are interested to know more about street art, you may click here to browse all my street art blog posts to-date.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Author
|