Niceaunties draws inspiration from her Singaporean roots, blending tradition, modernity and personal experiences to celebrate the vibrant, eccentric world of “aunties” – these resourceful, absurd and opinionated figures with larger-than-life personalities prevalent in many Asian societies – with reverence and awe. Her works reimagine these unsung heroines of everyday life, empowering older women by envisioning alternate realities where they can freely and unreservedly live out their dreams without judgement, while exploring themes of ageing, beauty, personal freedom and the extraordinary within the ordinary. Her AI-generated surreal universes exemplify the transformative potential of human-machine collaboration, expanding the boundaries of artistic expression and challenging perceptions of identity and creativity in the digital age. Through her art, she redefines the narrative of ageing and womanhood, infusing it with dynamism, dignity and boundless possibility.
What was the origin of your “Niceaunties” series? Why did you decide to focus on “auntie culture”?
It started as a fun project, imagining and constructing a positive alternative story to the term “auntie”, which was often viewed negatively. I was also trying to understand why auntie culture exists and why aunties behave in certain ways, particularly when it involves criticism or unsolicited comments. I think I’m still trying to figure it out, LOL. I realized AI was a great way to express my observations over the years on how women suppress, control, beautify and shape themselves, often through self-imposed restrictions and rules. With so much accumulated inside, it became a natural subject matter, especially since AI felt like the shortest path between my ideas and the visuals. AI also allows me to imagine scenarios that do not yet exist in realistic visuals, which I enjoy immensely.
Describe your artistic language and philosophy. Do you know exactly how it will look like when you start, or are you surprised by the end result?
It’s about perspectives, and perhaps offering another one. It is also about being light-hearted and not taking things too seriously. I love working with puns and acronyms, layering and weaving different experiences and meanings into the piece. I spend time thinking about ideas, sometimes receiving inspiration in the early hours of the morning as I wake. I have a general idea of the coloration, narrative and subject matter of a story I wish to tell before I start prompting the machine. Sometimes the process generates surprise details that take my narrative in new directions. The process is guided by the big idea, but remains flexible and organic in its execution and details.
Niceaunties, Auntlantis: Day In the Life Of, Trashcity
Photo courtesy of Niceaunties
How do current events and social and environmental issues impact your artwork?
Sometimes these ideas find their way into the Auntieverse. In the case of “Auntlantis”, a three-part video series inspired by Plato and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, auntie-mermaids clean the beach and the ocean floor in a world filled with plastic trash, flooded cities and plastic outlet malls.
Describe “Auntiedote” at Expanded.Art gallery in Berlin this year, your first physical solo show.
This was a unique experience for me, being my first physical solo exhibition and my first trip to Berlin; it was amazing meeting people in real life and receiving warm support. I exhibited five videos and two physical prints at this solo exhibition at Expanded.Art gallery, a collaboration between my gallery Fellowship and Expanded.Art. The five videos are spinoff stories of “Auntieverse”, an online exhibition of 1,000 still images highlighting 10 chapters and different aspects of this surreal world that celebrates aunties. One of the chapters in “Auntieverse” is “Auntieque”, which celebrates aunties’ big permed hair, energy and personalities. Three videos in the “Auntiedote” exhibition expand on this story. “Hairspray” is an advertisement for a product that keeps aunties’ perms up, “Hair Support” features a mattress and hair treatment salon helping aunties maintain their heavy perms, and “Auntieque Institute is Hiring” gives a glimpse into the origins of these special aunties. “Aioli Times” tells the coming-of-age story of a garlic character with a dream, a character from “Auntieverse”, a giant garlic that falls over on the fashion runway. “Spring Skin” is a seasonal menu episode of the “Spa Menu” chapter of “Auntieverse”, likening skin renewal to the earth sprouting new plant life.
Where do you sell your works primarily and who are your collectors?
My works are sold at the gallery Fellowship. My collectors are based all over the world, predominantly in the US and Europe.
Niceaunties, Auntieverse, Chapter No. 8, Ikea #0702. Ikea in the Auntieverse stands for Interstellar Kawaii Environment for Aunties
Photo courtesy of Niceaunties
How do you account for the runaway success of “Niceaunties” in such a short period of time, from giving a TED talk in Vancouver and participating in a Christie’s 3.0 charity auction to having your AI videos exhibited on the Times Square Billboard?
Being at the right place at the right time, and using a new medium in an unexpected way to share an uncommon subject matter – this is my best guess.
What do you feel is the role of the artist in society?
The role of an artist is to express their opinions or perspectives in their own unique way, hopefully to spark conversations and positive change. I hope to bring people new energy, and inspire them to celebrate their own uniqueness and the joy of self-expression.
