Artist SONG Returns to His Roots With “The Spiritual Awakening: Magic of Singapura”

Wildchild was invited to the opening night of “THE SPIRITUAL AWAKENING: Magic of Singapura”, the debut exhibition of multidisciplinary artist SONG. We spoke to him to find out more about his influences and what he wishes to convey through his post-graffiti art.

Raised by a family of artists, SONG has been making art for as long as he can remember — he participated in his very first group exhibition when he was only ten. However, his foray into graffiti came much later, when a schoolmate from LASALLE College of the Arts convinced him to try spray painting. Although SONG was initially reluctant to do so, he ended up unearthing his passion for the art form. After painting his first mural in Hong Kong, he was inspired to leave his mark around the world.

In fact, this exhibition is directly informed by his travels and love for graffiti. SONG’s time in culturally rich Colombia gave him an appreciation of mythologies. It cemented his desire to tell stories about Singapore’s history through his artwork, even if he has to get a bit inventive.

And so, he envisions a time before Sang Nila Utama, a time before the Merlion became Singapore’s mascot. Through the exhibition, SONG invites Singaporeans everywhere, young and old, to explore the imagined past with him.

So step into the gallery to find a collection of artwork that he holds dear to his heart: a rug tufted by a friend from Surabaya close to seven years ago; the remainder of his grandfather’s paintings (whose other works were unfortunately stolen); earrings and necklaces that he crafted by hand. While SONG uses a multitude of mediums, he is always, always, influenced by and elevating his source of inspiration: graffiti.