Welcome to the Auntieverse

Singaporean artist Niceaunties celebrates women, particularly aunties, who are pillars of their communities, using AI as a tool of pure automatic expression.

- Y-JEAN MUN-DELSALLE

Countering unfavourable stereotypes associated with traditionalist, opinionated and nagging aunties and providing alternate futures for women who impose limitations on themselves, repress their desires and hold back from chasing their dreams, Singaporean AI artist and designer Niceaunties elevates these often overlooked figures who play pivotal roles in community and family life in many Asian cultures.

Her artwork captures the spirit of these older women, who embody resilience, wisdom, and vibrancy. They propose multi-layered parallel realities in which they rebel against societal norms, let go of all inhibitions, take risks, and follow their interests with boundless energy.

However, these aren’t real-life aunties or ordinary experiences. Instead, Niceaunties has created an over-the-top, fictional Auntie-verse run and built by wild and wacky aunties straight out of her imagination — with plenty of help from AI.

Aunties go for spa days wrapped in sushi; balance improbable and unwieldy hairdos thanks to superstrength hair spray; save orangutans from the destruction of their habitats due to palm oil production; navigate a world overrun with plastic waste where birds and fish have turned into plastic; and socialise and enjoy city life viewed through high-rise building crosssections. Whatever these exuberant aunties get up to, they fearlessly assert their larger-than-life personalities.

EMPOWERING WITH SURREALISM

A tribute to women’s strength and individuality, Niceaunties is not just the artist’s moniker but also an art project about joyful ageing, beauty, personal freedom, and fun. “I wanted to challenge myself by bringing an alternative, light-hearted perspective, showing the endearing and ‘cute’ side of aunties,” she says.