09 August 2017
The arts scene in Singapore is buzzing, and even more so with Sonny Liew’s haul at the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards for his graphic novel The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye. Many are excited about what this could mean for the local illustration community that has been blooming steadily since the Organisation of Illustrators Council (OIC) was formed in 2006. Through their concerted efforts, Singapore’s skilled illustrators are receiving more attention than ever.
For instance in 2016, LASALLE had the pleasure of partnering OIC to present the inaugural Illustration Arts Festival (IAF) – a two-day platform for illustrators to share and discuss their practice with fellow like-minded individuals. The event was such a success that it was bookmarked for another outing in 2017.
Just ask Zenith Chan and Jennifer Chua, current BA(Hons) Animation Art students who had a booth at the Artists Market of IAF 2016. According to them, the turnout then was huge, so much so that this has fanned their anticipation for the 2017 edition of the IAF. Together with classmates Caroline Loh and Sarah Cheok, the team of students formed Woodlanders, and will be presenting their work again in 2017. They shared that IAF was a good opportunity to gain more exposure for their original work.
“At games or anime conventions, people go there looking for merchandise of their favourite characters or series. But at IAF, it’s all original art. Of course, with fan art there is already a catered market, so you can say it’s less of a risky venture as compared to putting out your original work. But then again, as artists, we’d always want to show more of our own creations because it’s something we’re proud of,” said Zenith and Jennifer.
Cross-stitching on vinyl by Marie Toh for ATTAGIRL
Indeed, IAF 2017 places a much larger emphasis on content created wholly by independent local illustrators. Such initiatives to support homegrown talents are well-received, and is especially thrilling news for Marie Toh who has just published her children’s storybook with Epigram books. The Boy in the Whale Suit, and some of her embroidery artworks and prints, were made available at the IAF’s Artists Market.
Not one to keep idle, the BA(Hons) Animation Art alumnus has been busy since graduation, working as a graphic designer and taking on personal projects – from turning old vinyls into art as part of ATTAGIRL’s fund-raising efforts for UN Women, to conducting her own embroidery workshops with Naiise and Wheniwasfour.
Artist, illustrator, and author Marie Toh
Her involvement in IAF 2017 was Marie’s last hurrah in Singapore before she left for London to further her studies. “I do hope to be able to grow as an artist there, and bring back valuable insights to Singapore. But in the meantime, I want to make use of the time I have left to network with other amazing local illustrators, and IAF allows me to do so,” said Marie.
For Woodlanders, the second showcase as a team collaborative effort promised to be a great experience to receive feedback from more established practitioners, especially since the team has plans to self-publish a second children’s book (the first being Sad Day).
Original poster featuring characters from Woodlander’s storybook, Sad Day
When asked about their hopes with regards to the visual arts scene, the team concurred that they would like to see more of such artist-centric events because it would help budding illustrators like themselves gain more support.
