Click the image to watch and listen to the Mesopotamia track.

Folk-flavored, alternative rock outfit Nuance finally decided to bang out six songs and two video tracks for the release of their eponymous debut EP. Which is awesome, even more so since we have the opportunity to offer two EPs for you guys to win. So watch this space!

I recently hung around Donald Pan, one of the handsome young fellows from Nuance, and had a beer-fueled conversation about some juiced bits and pieces.

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THE ART

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Ping B’s project, titled ‘Understanding Felicity upon Catastrophe’, suggests the relationship between the ‘Body’ as a form of ‘Nature’ and ‘Changes (modifications)’ being a form of ‘Culture’, which, as the artist suggests, “do not persist in the realm of co-existence, but emerge as one. One being the factual proposition of a form, creates the mobility of changes and reacting ambivalently.”

“My project targets to explore the approach of the body mutilation issue and ways in which people take charge to deal with their emotions, trying to secure well-being,” Ping explains, and continues. ” The aim is to capture and illustrate the interest of the reverse psychology, experiencing and sharing the doleful lives of this group of people, and also, accepting them for who they are. What went on in my mind, as I observed, is the better opportunity to see a wider pilgrim of possibilities in a variety of vernacular. Relishing in every aspect of the human nature, their endless variety, their individual foibles and peculiar habits, their innocence and their cunning, and their purity and humanity, such love for attention have to unveil, in regards to the scornful realism of the ironical society.”

Click here, here and here to view all the works in the project.

THE ARTIST

24-year old Gan Ping Bing (aka Ping B) graduated mid last year with a First Class Honors Degree in Bachelor of Arts from Loughborough University School of The Arts. She also holds a Diploma in Visual Communication from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

“I’m an out-going individual who prefers nothing more than a SPACE to herself, and music is my sole survivor. I totally indulge with books, and I reckon myself belonging to the ‘Sins of The Ab-norms’.” Ping says.

Spotted! is a digest of fly work by fresh off creatives.

The 6th intake graduating class of SIM-RMIT University’s Bachelor of Design, Communication Design (BDCD) will host ‘An “Oddinary” Exhibition’, an international art exhibition which is a culmination of their degree program. This exhibition will showcase the students’ finest creative work, and will also feature an array of guest contributions by international designers.

The organizers explain, “The ‘Oddinary’ Exhibition aims to transcend the ordinary and celebrate the limitless possibilities of creativity, through a gallery of ‘Ordinary’ boxes made ‘Extraordinary’ - the students and guest artists have been invited to lend their creative touches to a simple white box - turning the ordinary into the unusual.”

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THE PHOTOGRAPH

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‘He Wooden Move’ is a photograph by 22-year old Low Youjin, showing his friend lying amongst the benches at the old Kallang Stadium. Youjin says that ” he knew it would make a far more interesting photo than your run of the mill architectural or abstract shots. I would like to believe that just about anywhere, we are presented with some really unique perspective of the world around us, provided we take the time to slow down, wait and observe.”

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THE ART

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“I Am David Sparkle wanted a special packaging for the release of their first full length album,” Djohan Johari explains, “The band sees their songs as a narrative channel and hopes that it doesn’t stop at the click of the stop button, but carries on into the stimulation sight and sound, to simulate an environment for the story they are telling. It was my first job and I learned quite a bit about production processes. I was into books with French folded pages, and was attracted to the binding technique used in one of the book I was reading. I figured it’d be cool to have these two traits in a CD packaging and it’d be really nice to have the listener engaging in it, opening folds to find phrases and figuring ways to undo the stitches of the CD pocket to get to the music.”

About the graphic, Djohan says, “The graphic used was adapted from works I did for school. My fascination with words -their function to relay thought and emotions we have, and their form, like placements and treatments in a given space- spearheaded the project. I was messing around with some illustration techniques and it turned out pretty sweet. It portrays a sterile, synthetic environment narrated by thoughts we have in our head, but not necessarily communicated to others around us.”

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THE DESIGN

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DOUXArte is a limited edition carpet, delicately hand-fabricated from a total of 1500 top quality balloons, and can be used as a stylish carpet, a sitting cushion, or simply as an elegant ornament on its own. Doux products range from lifestyle products, to furniture and fashion and will soon be available online and from selected designer furnishing galleries.

Of her design, Shannon says, “Every product tells a story. The more chapters within the story a product has, the richer in experience it is, hence the more valuable and precious it is. Quality is always my top priority when it comes to the materialisation of a product, as I want people to pay for something that has a lot of effort and thought put into the creation. Never restricting to a certain trend or lifestyle. Doux lives by its brand promise that life is about Living Beautifully – the meaning of Vivez Admirablement in French as seen on the logo. It is a brand and a mentality created for the discerning people with a relentless pursuit for that ultimate living experience in mind.”

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THE DESIGN

Lover’s Spit, FrüFrü & Tigerlily’s third collection, draws inspiration from the music of Broken Social Scene, Aereogramme, The Cure, Ladytron and New Young Pony Club. Ginette Chittick, co-owner of the label, explains, “All our collections are directly inspired by music and moments in the lives of the team. The Hellfire dress (above) is our visual translation of the words HellFire, made for the Electro Pixie who likes to flit around in a piece that totally owns.”

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THE ART

19-year old Muhd Heider did his Breathe Music illustration for the cover of a magazine.

“The theme was music. I was listening to Helter Skelter at the time. So that was how I got the idea for the illustration. Basically, its all about ‘feeling’ the theme. I drew it out first, scanned it in and used photoshop to manipulate the picture.”

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Last night was Plainsunset’s launch of their first widely distributed studio album. Plainsunset is the band’s self-titled fourth release since reforming after their breakup in 2004. About the album, lead singer Jon Chan says, “Our musical approach was to aim for timeless songs. We were more open to pulling in our influences to receive input from he timeless to create the timeless.”

GIVEAWAY! We have two albums to give away to two readers. To enter, email Michele before 18 June. *

* Contest is open to Singapore residents only!

THE ART

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Choon Lin not only creates her own toys, she also makes experimental stop-motion animations across various disciplines, including drawing, sculpture and printmaking.

“I am interested in how things are made,” she says, “in particular, the activity of DIY, in which people are involved in a process of putting things or objects together for their own use. People invent their own methods or discover better ways of making things from various instructional guides and resources. A lot of my work comes from an interest in how things are made, fitting of joints, making things work together, and the way materials are manipulated and used.”

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THE ART

Celeste En is not restricted by mediums, but agrees that brushwork is her forte. “This piece though, is done with penciled lines and finished with digital coloring,” she says. “It’s about how we often underestimate the power of the spoken word, which can hurt others and ultimately, ourselves.”

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It is comforting to see a group of graduates wanting to tread lightly on the planet by spreading the word that green designs can be fashion-forward, edgy as well as sustainably responsible.

Founded in August 2007 by four students from the Republic Polytechnic’s School of Technology for the Arts, RecycloFashion has already generated quite a bit of eco-buzz.

I talk to Ash about the backstory of the earth-friendly initiative …

What is RecycloFashion? What is your mission?

RecycloFashion, essentially, is an ambassador to the many regional “eco” or green brands in Singapore, South East Asia and various countries in Europe and Australia. We collaborate with designers and artists from various backgrounds who use alternative and earth-friendly materials in their work. We come up with marketing concepts and advertisements that the brands use to brand their own ads. So in short, we promote them, and they promote us.

Our mission is create awareness and to make eco look wearable and fashionable for the discerning shopper. To us, eco is beautiful as it combines crucial values to create unique pieces with special individual pieces.

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THE ART

Chun Kai Feng is an artist with a meticulous dedication to craftsmanship. “I like to draw and make things small,” he says, “I work in a tiny studio in Little India. I am undernourished but I hope I will never give up on making art.”

On his art, “I work with models as they are powerful tools for recapturing and speculating reality, I can indulge in fantasy and am able to express complex layers of information.”

“Modelling can arouse a desire for ambitious fantasy and it is also a place of escape, for confronting interiority, safely away from the rigours of the outside world.”

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THE ART

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Taking his inspiration from anime, manga and girls in kimonos, Gene Ho adds a touch of something unexpected to an everyday plastic raincoat.

“Anime and manga have always been my guiding light to all my illustrations. Bold and fine clean lines with soft colors as finishing. I’ve also always been captivated by the kimono in its many forms. The delicacy and beauty of a girl in kimono comes to mind and a sense of serenity flows with it. And I place the girl in different scenarios I have in mind. I like to see my illustrations fused with my surroundings. From furniture to fabrics and products. I name all my girls because I think they should each have their own character and emotions.”

THE ARTIST

After closing down his design studio in 2005, Gene Ho became a full-time freelance illustrator.

“I was in search of greater prospects in the creative circle. Inspired by the vast amount of illustration work, my passion for illustration started to bloom again. I’ve got a few selected illustrators that inspire me, most of which are Japanese. I am a big fan of everything Japanese, especially when it comes to design and architecture and that is why I fuse Japanese elements into my work.”

Spotted! is a digest of fly work by fresh off creatives.

THE DESIGN

Chai Jun Yea used his experience in architecture and his understanding of ergonomics and Modern Asian aesthetics to develop a range of timeless acrylic products. LINE (above) is a horizontal plateau over your lap and can be used as a laptop tray on one side and a breakfast tray on the other side.

Also in the range, LINE2 , a stylish docking station for your laptop that can also be used as an elegant serving tray, and  SINE, the equivalent of a table on a couch or bed.

THE DESIGNER

Architect Chai Jun Yea is a Partner in an architectural firm specialised in green architecture. He finds his passion in creating all things simple, innovative, intuitive and beautiful. “I am always inventing, designing and creating new products that benefit the general public.”

Spotted! is a digest of fly work by fresh off creatives.