WHADDA…

The name WHADDA... derives from the expression 'what the...' when one is awed or caught by surprise. Formed in 2017, the WHADDA... collective comprises of two visual artists, Muhammad Izdi and Toby Tan (aka Tobyato) who found common interest in mythology and folklore.

WHADDA... works with community groups to develop ideas that reflect the identity of a neighbourhood, drawing on shared cultural history and heritage of the area.

Together, the artists have created works like Jerong, an art installation inspired by the origin of the neighbourhood name Jurong. The shark installation is representative of the animal’s remarkable drive for survival, which is symbolic of the progress and development of Taman Jurong.

Find out more about the artists behind WHADDA… at Muhammad Izdi and tobyato, or check out their instagram pages @instagram/lepaklukis and @instagram/tobyato.

EMS Art Collective

EMS Art Collective is a newly established art collective that seeks to explore the local and international art scene. It is a culmination of three minds and spirits, Victor Emmanuel, Michael Loke and Stellah Lim. EMS embodies three qualities which they use to involve everybody in the ‘making’ process: Expression, Materiality and Sustainability.

Starting with local communities, EMS aims to create thought-provoking community engagement projects, public art etc. and develop a holistic and immersive experience within the local communities. Their vision is to understand cultural diversities and through that introduce sustainable means to create meaningful art works, with interactive and interesting methodologies. 

As a collective, EMS has gained recognition for being the Artist-in-Residence @ SAFRA Toa Payoh, a ground-up initiative between the National Arts Council and SAFRA Toa Payoh to involve the Toa Payoh community in co-creating a community mural and Researcher’s Office installation to celebrate Toa Payoh’s rich history.

Find out more about EMS @ instagram.com/emsartcollective.

Desmond Lui

Desmond Lui is a Singaporean photographer and visual storyteller residing in MacPherson neighbourhood. He harbours an intense interest in human interaction in societies which has led him to pursue a part-time degree in Sociology.

For almost a decade, he has worked on diverse photographic projects that have been featured in The Straits Times, teamed up with agencies like National Gallery of Singapore to shoot exhibitions like Yayoi Kusama and even brought him beyond the Singapore horizon to places like Melaka to meet Portuguese-Eurasian communities.

Find out more about DESMOND LUI @ desmondlui.com or instagram.com/desmondlui_.

LiteWerkz

LiteWerkz is a design collective consisting of students, artists and engineers, passionate in designing and making public art and light installations. The team debuted with the first light installation at Singapore Night Festival 2016 in its first ever open call, and have been participating annually since. The team specialises in the design of light and art installations (from conceptualisation to execution) with works particularly driven by the beauty of materials, both in its natural form and its transformative aesthetics under lighting. LiteWerkz also dabbles in other design works such as graphics and exhibition design.

They are largely known for their popular installation Symbiote, an installation celebrating the juxtaposition of tension and lightness. It is an airy, undulating space that was created from a culmination of tension and thin seamless white fabric. Their light designs are also featured at Primegrill, a new hawker stall at Yishun that boasts their mini light installation.

Find out more about LITEWERKZ @ litewerkz.studio or instagram.com/litewerkz/.

Creating delight in everyday neighbourhood experiences through pops of unexpected art co-created by residents of MacPherson

What can you expect?