ri4nt is a 25-year-old working professional, who enjoys balancing work with his take at graphic art and photography. In search for inspiration, he ventures off deep into the fabrics of the garden / lion / transformation city, equipped with nothing but his nifty camera named snappy, and a bit of cash in hand to purchase another one of them design magazines – he likes those. “I have humble dreams to one day own my own design firm. I would like to create affordable, everyday products, designed to improve the life of people and the environment”, ri4nt adds.

ri4nt’s work -Bursting Forth- received a Merit Prize in the Noise 2010 Celebration Themed Category. “The illustration depicts the synergized burst of energy expected to take place through the numerous sport events during the 2010 Youth Olympics. I enjoy how the black and white elements radiate both intricacy and simplicity – and a dash of colour by the side standing as the focal point highlighting when the eyes of the World will once again cast onto Singapore.”

An Interactive designer by profession, Bel Ragay spent the last six years harnessing her skills in Interactive, Print, Web, and Graphic design. She has worked as Web Designer and Developer at First Academy of Computer Arts and GoVida Studios/Earth Council before she moved to Singapore in 2007.

Imperial -pictured above-  was one of the winning pieces in the 2010 Noise Singapore Arts and Design competition. Bel about her work: “Women of all ages have often described their hair as their crowning glory. I have always been fascinated over the fact that hair plays a great factor on women’s lives. We braid it, put flowers, tiara, crowns, colors on it – just some of the many creative ways we make ourselves more beautiful through our hair. This artwork celebrates the beauty and creativity of women with their hair and how important it is for women to have beautiful hair.”

Terror Wrist is the title of Eman Raharno’s new work, that will be on display at the dbl O Art Space 7 this Saturday. The new work is made up of prints symbolising science versus religion. The artist will also be painting a 6×3 meter mural, depicting the meaning of Scientology.

Eman Raharno aka Clogtwo, is a Singapore-born Javanese. “The name Clogtwo was chosen due to the fact that when I first started off spray painting in late 2004, my spray-can caps kept clotting, hence the word “clog”. The number two is just a self reminder that no matter how far you go, you must always be humble and respectful of others, in short, always be second in place.”

Clogtwo graduated from Temasek Polytechnic with a Diploma in Interactive Media Design in 2007. He is currently working as a video designer, and freelances in multiple areas including illustrations and graffiti murals. Clogtwo also represents the ZincNite Crew, a local graffiti collective established in 1998.

6 March, from 8 to 10pm at dbl O Art Space 7.

In conjunction with the exhibition of celebrated New York graffiti artist, Daze, Fortune Cookie Projects announces the opening on 4 March, of a homecoming showcase of local graffiti art, titled Is This Home, Truly?

Curated by Zaki Razak and Zul Othman, the exhibition — presents the work of six urban artists from Singapore: Antz , Scopeone, Slacsatu, The Killer Gerbil, Tr853-1 and Zero.

In the words of Zaki, “The Pioneers, Markers and Avant-Gardes of Singapore’s ‘Graffiti Art’ are coming home to showcase artworks symbolizing respective peaks of their practice.  The showcase not only chronicles representational pieces from the scene in Singapore from the early 90s till today, it also inaugurates their congregation in a ‘confined’ space – an environment that seems alienating yet longing.”

The exhibition runs through 22 March at Fortune Cookie Projects, 39 Keppel Road #02-04 – Tanjong Pagar Distripark.

Local illustrator MessyMsxi unveils an introductory showcase of prints and happy merchandise at the newly opened The Little Drom Store, from 1 to 31 March 2010. Swing by some time.

maes2ro is a full-time freelance designer, who spends his free time following up on world issues and current affairs.

maes2rology is his philosophy of bonding humanity with art, inspired by people around us, anywhere, everywhere, regardless of their occupation, race, gender, lifestyle, status or physique. “It identifies the dialogue between both our abstract and concrete worlds,”  maes2ro continues. “maes2rology also aims to converse, to arouse and to provoke the recollections and minds of the human race.”

About his artwork: “I rather refer to it as campaigns, as I stencil my work into posters and go around distributing and pasting them to provoke the public. Most of my stencils are text-based and commemorate tragedies and catastrophes that have taken the toll on humanity.”

Joshua Tay is a freelance illustrator, looking to join a creative studio as a concept artist. In 2007, he was awarded second runner up in the Open Category of the Mangaka 07 Digital Arts competition. His work has been labeled as eastern influenced with a pinch of nostalgia.

“Are you going out with the dog again?, asks grandma.
“Yes, grandma. Just a short while”, San San replies.
“Don’t you know what time is it? It’s already so late! You are always walking the dog so late .. Why?!”, said Grandma, raising her voice.
“Well……”, San San doesn’t know how to reply.
Walking the dog? Is this even a dog? San San tried to take Mikey out for a walk in the afternoon before, but it got this nasty habit of gulping up pedestrians. The dog was rather cute initially, but is now getting a little out of control. Most recently, Mikey even ate San San’s boyfriend …
“I’ll be back in soon.” San San finally replied.

Ashley Yeo is a talented third-year Fine Arts student at LASALLE, graduating this May. She has a small but growing body of work that features some lovely paintings, drawings and sculptures.

Ashley has a penchant for Japanese visual culture, and likes to create work that reveals intimate engagements between fantastical characters. “I enjoy portraying secret chaos, and I attempt to embody beauty in a form of imperfection,” she adds. “I am also drawn to the unexpected, like how the cute is usually juxtaposed with gore in the recent uprising of pop surrealism, and I like the hidden factor of horror within beauty.”

The “10 aspects of death” is inspired by a project around the theme of Flight. “I was fascinated by the word Flight;  I guess I never really thought about death in that way, and it inspired me to work on a series around that theme. Flight is also indirectly linked to heaven, and I guess the route to heaven is through death …”

Click here to view the other works in the series.