I believe that Singapore Design Week should be a week to invite artists from all spheres of design, to put a spotlight on their works an showcase their unique fields and contributions and how they shaped it.
Chong Wei Xin – Visual Imagery Design
In Singapore, there is a lack of notable or famous names of people who specialize as graphic designers. Visual designers like Chong Wei Xin who use imagery to bring across a striking social contemplative message, fit in to that category of graphic design even though it may not be stylistically conventional in the graphic design style.
She responds to the current state of using social media or surgery or cosmetic products as a way of beautification. She questions the need of it through her photoseries by using makeup to enhance the natural beauty of flowers.
Daryl Aiden
Following his scandal last year, there are not many people who would not know of Daryl Aiden. He is a very influential Instagram photographer, caught in the scandal of photoshopping his own travel photos, using studio shots and other photographer’s stock photos to create “perfect holiday landscapes”. After the incident he publicly apologized for his dishonesty and re-branded himself as a Photoshop designer, creating a following by teaching others how to do graphical advertisements through Photoshop.
Loo Zihan
Although he is a performance artist, I would like to invite him because I would like to showcase how he attempts to re-design the Singapore arts and culture scene through provocation.
His work id like to feature is a studied re-creation of “Brother Cane,” the scandalous 1993 work which saw performance art funding cut for a decade in Singapore, following Josef Ng’s snipping of his own pubic hair in a shopping mall. Zihan’s “Cane” (2012) featured a re-enactment of the event, distilled from different archival accounts and perspectives on how the whole thing unfolded.
In his recreation he emphasizes that with clear boundaries, artists can then be fully free, without them, they cant be free. Thus by pushing boundaries in his provocative works, he seeks to push for greater freedom of artistic self expression in our conservative nation state
Daniel Boey
Daniel Boey, referred to as the “Godfather of Singapore fashion” by HerWorldPlus and “Singapore’s fashion royalty” by IS magazine, is a fashion / creative director whose name is synonymous with inspired, cutting-edge and groundbreaking ideas, and is one of the most sought-after fashion and lifestyle curators in Asia.
He worked tirelessly to elevate the Singapore Fashion Design scene, and though he is not a hands on designer himself, a curated exhibition of designs from him is what id like to showcase
If i could bring back people from the dead:
Paul Rand
I deeply appreciate the unique design principles and styles that he formed in his career. I especially love the innovative use of Rebus symbols in the IBM design. I feel his easy to understand, clean and minimalist design can make a comeback in today’s design scene, where there is a large focus on cleanliness and minimalism.
Henry Ford
I deeply admire and appreciate his contributions to industrial design. Through perfecting the assembly line, Ford was able to mass produce affordable cars, making automobiles no longer just a luxury, but a commonplace good, transforming the state of travel forever.
Id also like to highlight his views on welfare capitalism – and his contributions on the welfare of workers- creating the 5 day work week as we know of it , and also increasing the minimum wage of workers.
