It was his task of adding new life to a run-down basketball court that caught our eye. A basketball court in Punggol was given a fresh coat of blue paint—wavy shapes, some of which are patterned by lines. This was part of Toby Tan’s (or as he’s known by his nome d’arte, Tobyato) final-year project at NTU’s School of Art, Design and Media, called Kejiranan, meaning ‘neighbourhood’ in Malay. Tan wanted to discover the origins behind the names of local neighbourhoods and engage with the residents through basketball court paintings. In Malay, ‘Punggol’ means ‘throwing sticks at fruit trees’, which were represented by the straight lines and the colour and shapes were influenced by Punggol being one of the first waterfront towns back then.
Tan would follow that up with another basketball court in Bishan. And a mural at the skatepark in Somerset. And a collaboration with Levi’s. And another with Uniqlo. And another with Asics. And another…
Add ‘designed NFT sneakers’ to his resume as Esquire roped in Tan as our sneaker NFT project’s first collaborator. We talk to him about venturing into this virtual space, stone lions and why he’s so damn happy all the time.
ESQUIRE: What’s your first awareness of NFTs and how is it beneficial for an artist?
Denne historien er fra Winter 2021-utgaven av Esquire Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Winter 2021-utgaven av Esquire Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
THE MILD HANGOVER
Hangovers get a bad rap. We know. If you’ve gotten this far in the magazine, you’ve surely divined that we’re mildly hungover most of the time.
AN ELECTRIC FUTURE
Polestar, the minimalist electric Swedish car brand, turns the voltage up on its competition.
LET'S GET REAL (ESTATE): LUXURIOUS LONDON
Royalty, shopping, the best tea and scones the world has to offer, and a lifestyle worthy of what you're working for. Here's why London is ripe for your next investment
NEXT UP....ZARAN VACHHA
As Co-founder of the events and talent agency Collective Minds and Managing Director of the Mandala Masters, Zaran Vachha is definitely not new to the culture scene, but he's certainly shaping what comes next.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED...
I DON’T WEAR SOCKS except in January.
The Body Is a Language
A bad handshake is such a turnoff; we feel irked when someone rolls their eyes at us; we can't stop pacing when we're nervous-ever wondered how certain body language has the power to change how we feel instantly? We explore why.
EYE OF THE TIGER
Hailing from Singapore, Japan and Brazil respectively, Evolve Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes Darren Goh, Hiroki Akimoto and Alex Silva are proof that the ring demands as much from mind as it does from matter.
THE ADONIS COMPLEX
With the rise of superhero culture making a return and bringing with it the celebration of the classically ‘masculine’ body type, can men really overcome the pressure to conform when culture keeps getting in the way?
FUNNY BUT TRUE
A comedian, an iconic Singaporean, and now a man much evolved. After overcoming two years of pandemic limbo, unlocking career milestones one after another and undergoing a life-defining physical transformation, Rishi Budhrani is ready to emerge into the world renewed-and anew.
LIKE NO OTHER
With its horological triumphs, Hermès has truly come into its own as a watchmaking maison. In this exclusive interview with Esquire Singapore, CEO of Hermès Horloger, Laurent Dordet sheds some light on his timepieces' rising stardom and the importance of being different.
