ART & SOUL

THREE OF THE BRIGHTEST YOUNG TALENTS IN SINGAPORE'S ART WORLD TELL US ABOUT MAKING WORK WITH MEANING AND HOW THE PERSONAL CAN BE THE MOST PROFOUND.

- JEFFREY YAN

More than politics or economics or any of the other forces that make the world go round, it is art that functions as society's mirror-reflecting back to us who and where we are as a people at any one time. While still in its nascent stage, the art scene in Singapore is slowly but steadily growing. Here, we profile three young artists who are bringing new voices and perspectives to the discourse. There is Israfil Ridhwan, who works in the age-old medium of oil painting but with an entirely contemporary take on masculinity; Samuel Xun, a fashion designer turned multidisciplinary visual artist whose work spans sculpture, installation and text; and Andre Wee, a digital illustrator who also creates 3D, VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) art. They tell us about what drives their creative impulses and what they want to say with their work.

ISRAFIL RIDHWAN