Too little is being said about this issue, and even less is being done to ensure a ceasefire. “SPEAK” is a watermelon-themed, ‘Free Palestine’ piece for SCAPE Somerset Graffiti Jam Vol. 2 Session; by invite of THE BLACKBOOK STUDIO artists, alongside other international street artists (to the right and left of my wall: KIONG and WEPZ from Batam, Indonesia). It was painted over in a matter of days.

Photos by Trina Costes-Siojo of She Shoots Light.

Play It Forward Singapore is a public piano initiative founded by Singapore musicians who work with local artists, designers, and creative talents to refurbish old, unwanted pianos into artistic playable installations. The public pianos are displayed in various parts of Singapore for anyone to play at any time of the day. This initiative is made possible with the support of the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore's Our Favourite Place programme.

When I was asked to do this piano-painting for Play It Forward Singapore, I did a quick site visit to Marina One Residences for inspiration. Right away I was drawn to all the tropical greenery of their public woody garden. Aptly named The Green Heart, with close to 400 plant species, it is right in the middle of their residential and office towers, and serves as Marina One’s beating heart (and lungs). And so I thought my design ought to both blend into all the flora and celebrate it as well.

In August 2024, Singaporean non-binary contemporary artist Sam Lo, also known by the moniker SKL0, asked a handful of graffiti artists to take part in THE ENDLESS CHASE. We were tasked to each paint a horse in our own style on his carousel, as part of one of the offerings at Wonder World: The Machine of Nostalgia for the 2024 SG Night Festival.
”The Endless Chase rides investigate the use of nostalgia in today’s fast-paced modern life. As the participant goes around in circles, this motion becomes symbolic of the chase to escape the present through nostalgia yet also being confronted by the same reality they seek to run from. This piece comments on the use of nostalgia as a dopamine hit, and highlights the irony of its use in a rapidly developing cityscape.” -Sam Lo

Honoured to get to paint one with Philippine sun and stars, with the rest of the design and colours inspired by the Laguna town of Paete and their red TAKA papier-mâché souvenir horses.

This was a community project that I was sent to Vietnam for, along with two art volunteers, ANG HWEE CHIEH and BOON YEE TEO. Originally the Da Nang Oncology Hospital simply wanted large paintings made by various artists from around the world to fill their blank hospital walls. But then our group suggested we involve the hospital volunteers and patients in the creation of the artwork so that it would be more meaningful.

The lotus is the Vietnamese national flower and symbol for hope, purity, and optimism for the future in spite of obstacles. We took a 1 by 1.6 metre lotus drawing and broke it up into 40 canvases for everyone, including the geriatric and pediatric patients to paint on. In the end, it came together like a puzzle or mosaic that formed a unified image. Click here for more snapshots of the process, as told by the Da Nang volunteers, and here for local news coverage. 

In 2012 I travelled to the Babuyan Islands, one of the furthest, most remote northern parts of the Philippines to be part of a humpback whale expedition. I was with environmentalists, photographers and artists, all who wanted to see these creatures first-hand, and reach out to the communities there as well. As part of engaging with the people of Babuyanes, we visited the schools, donated books and supplies, and created this wall mural, headed by art activist A.G. SANO, commemorating our love and respect for the animals and natural surroundings of the area.

Graffiti session with THE BLACKBOOK STUDIO and graffiti artist and illustrator Pratama Eka Dharma aka @PEDMONS

For a children's bedroom in Bonifacio Global City. It started out initially as a simple mural of tree with autumn leaves, with the lake, clouds and Calvin & Hobbes characters added later on.

A live art jam piece created alongside artist-friend and fellow abstract-expressionist painter ELVIN JOHN VILLAR. The painting was auctioned off for charity at Hotel Vagabond’s To Be Fair: A Night of Art and Auction for the betterment of Gender Equality, in support of AWARE Association of Women for Action and Research Singapore and the Daughters of Tomorrow organisation.

This started out as a doodle in brown marker by MIG BLANCO. After outlining, I did the rest of the paintwork, colour, and filled in the details and tonal value. I wanted it to pop out, and look like a bold L.A. Ink tattoo.

Artist PIAGET MARTELINO has a knack for working with organic shapes. For this piece, he laser-cut a large, thick sheet of wood to his desired shape, and glued on protruding portions. We decided to stay within this 4-colour palette and freestyle-painted the wood during a live art jam at a Kyss Bar event series called The imagi:NATIVES Eclectic and Experimental Art/Sound Sessions; Makati City.

My friend Ziggie Gonzales had a dream of opening a chain of affordable surf hostels around the Philippines. in 2011, he invited several artists and friends to paint the first CIRCLE HOSTEL in Zambales as it was being built. We were given free rein to paint whatever we wanted, wherever we wanted. A few years down the line, he opened another branch in La Union, and then Baler.

PSYCHEDELIC SUN TURTLE in Circle Hostel, Zambales; and WAVES OF SMOKE in Circle Hostel, La Union