Build to Order
Kawan-kawan Collective
Group Exhibition
25 August - 3 September 2023, 11am to 7pm
“Build to Order” is an exhibition that examines the tension between Singapore's small housing spaces and its large cultural identity. The exhibition poses a critical question: how can we reconcile our cultural heritage with the limitations of our living spaces? Through a dynamic showcase of works, the emerging artist collective Kawan-kawan, comprising Nur Surianita, Miko, Zhi Yan, Wann N. Afiqah, Sabrina Akbar, and Danish Hamzah, invites visitors to engage in a dialogue about their cultural identity and the way it interacts with their built environment.
Kawan-kawan's diverse range of specialisations, including ceramics, performance art, printmaking, textiles,photography and installation art, offer multiple perspectives on this theme. The artists draw from their lived experiences and use their mediums to explore the complex relationship between culture, space, and identity. The exhibition serves as a platform to highlight the concerns of Gen-Z and spark conversations about how cultural identity can be reimagined and integrated into a rapidly evolving urban landscape.
“Build to Order” challenges visitors to rethink the boundaries of their living spaces and to consider how they can better accommodate their cultural heritage. Kawan-kawan's inaugural collective exhibition wishes to inspire visitors to engage in deeper reflections about their cultural identity, and the role it plays in shaping their sense of home.
About the Artist(s)
Wann Nurul Afiqah (b. 2002, Singapore) currently pursuing a Diploma in Fine Arts majoring in Drawing and Printmaking. She portrays the essence of life in her works through her own personal experiences, her relationship with her mother, her community, and the incorporation of her cultural identity. She mostly focuses on the issue of losing touch of her Malay identity and the concept of a person's relationship with their mother is a persistent concern.
Alyssa Yunus(B.2002) also known as Miko is a ceramic artists that is commonly known for her "CAWAN PELIK" which translates to weird cups. Her works can be best described as funky and all about having fun. Miko aims to break boundaries off the seriousness of art making, instead purely making art because of the actual reason of making rather than throwing a deep and useless meaning to the crafts. Her works strongly depicts the community or simply the people around her, the people whom she met for just 5 minutes would also create an impact in her works. She believes that everyone has their own personality and own life to run differently hence why most of her works are never alike. Miko also enjoys coffee and "teh" so if you’re just like her hit her up for coffee talks! She's also currently open for commissions and projects. Miko is also featured on Berita Harian featuring her & her ‘Cawan Pelik’!
Nur Surianita (b.2002) is a performance artist whose works can be described as confessional artworks. Time and age are key themes in her works, along with personal experiences. Throughout her exploration of self-identity and Malay identity, she is discovering who she is and expressing it through her artwork. Surianita took part in the Islands Time-Based Art festival as an artist and festival coordinator during Singapore Art Week 2023 and was featured in the Straits Times article "Community-based art, artist-run festivals bring art to the heartland." Surianita also took part in another Singapore Art Week 2023 project,"If Life Gives You Slime...' a community based project created by artist anGie seah in which Surianita was a personal assistant intern as part of her diploma's industrial Based Learning. Surianita's capability in facilitating and her assistance with administration heightened during these projects.
Fascinated by complex human relationships and spontaneity of everyday life, Danish conveys them into his works while incorporating his personal experiences. The representation of his thoughts and identity can be seen through his body of works as he uses his culture and religious practices as his inspiration. His artistic practice ranges from photography to performance art.
Danish Hamzah (b. 2001) is a Singaporean artist, currently studying at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, pursuing a 4D practice which includes new media; photography, video, sound and performance art. During his internship with P7:1SMA, a reputable Malay dance company, Danish made his artistic debut performing with Norhaizad Adam in ‘Mass Delay’ and his own work ‘Turmoil’ for Permisi (2022). In addition, he has participated in events like Independent Archive’s LELONG LELONG (2022) as a volunteer, P7:1SMA’s Kembali (2022) as production crew and Islands Time Based Art Festival (2023) as a volunteer and photographer. These experiences have taught him soft skills like teamwork, punctuality, adaptability and creativity. These are beneficial skills for his aspirations in joining local art organisations in the future.
Ang Zhi Yan (b.2002) is a Singaporean interdisciplinary artist studying at NAFA, with a diploma in fine arts. She exhibited at the Visual Arts Centre as a group show with Singapore's Canossian schools and organizations from Southeast Asia. During her foundation year, she was awarded Dean's list. In 2020, she was awarded the Tan Chay Bing Entry Scholarship and the Loh Jian Hao Scholarship. Her key milestone was starting up and working in a collective, TLDR- the living dream room, to curate and showcase works from 17 youths in the exhibition, "LOL- We're all pieces of Gum".
Sabrina (b. 2001) is a Singapore based multi-disciplinary artist, graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in photography, video, sound and performance art. Prior to NAFA, she acquired a Certificate in Leisure and Travel Operations in ITE College West where she was a Resorts World Sentosa Book Prize recipient (2020) and was in the Director’s List (2019). She has worked on the seventh edition of Singapore Biennale & the Benesse Prize Ceremony'22 during her time in Singapore Art Museum (SAM). She has also involved herself in miscellaneous volunteer work for multiple art events such as the Islands Time Based Art Festival during Singapore Art Week, STPI Open House and Independent Archive's fundraiser event.
