PUBLISHED November 26th, 2012 06:16 am | UPDATED January 21st, 2016 08:13 am
Imagine a whole new universe filled with all your childhood dreams, fantasies and make-believe.
Imagine a world where Bugs Bunny trots around with Mickey Mouse as a placate and calm Yoda watches over them. A land where the Road Runner races against Flash, the fastest man in the world. A dimension of bottle-headed Tweeties and Tom and Jerry racing each other to no end.
Imagine a world of cartoons, where imaginary friends turn to reality, set in a multicolor Wounderland of fine, undulating lines and vibrant tones that speak to the kid in your heart, the destination after the harsh journey of adulthood where your youngling’s nightly dreams of once upon a time come to life, the pot of gold at the end of the nasty, roller coaster rainbow.
Imagine Loony Tunes and Disney World coming to life.
That is artist Arkiv Vilmansa’s world. That is Arkiventures.
The Artist
Painter, illustrator and designer, Arkiv is one of those rare gems who inadvertently and thankfully found his way into the urban art scene. Originally an architecture graduate with a graphic design background, this internationally renowned artist later found his passion in painting and toy-making after he started collecting toys by Hong Kong toy designer and illustrator Michael Lau in 2002.
Inspired by his growing collection of toys, he finally delved into creating his own illustrations and paintings, his concept continually harkening from childhood muse and fantasies. It wasn’t long before he continued the path into toy-making as well. This was followed by a tidal wave of buzzing interest in his explicit and unique style that spread through the net and into the art world.
His first notable work, called ‘Arkiv Instant’, was his first ever vinyl figurine, a redesigning of Mickey Mouse, made for Disney Asia. This design immediately brought Arkiv’s name into the toy galleries’ list, bringing attention to the impeccable workmanship and distinct style of his creations, and making his mark in the international art scene.
It wasn’t long until this self-made artist found himself in his first solo exhibit, ‘Through The Line’, a collection on overcoming adversity, staged in 2011 at the Vincent Michael Gallery, Philadelphia, USA.
Recently, he has dipped into the world of fashion, customizing Vans for Off The Wall Site (OTWS) in August this year. He also lent a hand to raising awareness on the perils of the shark habitat in Japan by creating the painting, ‘Calling Out In the Dark’, for PangeaSeed, a Tokyo-based organization dedicated to this cause.
With equally intense passion for painting and toy-making and nothing stopping his tracks, Arkiv dreams of weaving a whole new universe of childhood fantasies come true, a boiling pot of cartoon characters redesigned and reimagined, old childhood friends reanimated once more. This is Arkiv’s grand plan, his psychedelic and dazzling world of colours and lines and childhood nostalgia. His very own Wounderland.
The Art
Flow and gradient.
Nothing less than iconic, Arkiv’s creation is notable for these two characteristics: Flow in the way the lines move, undulating and strong like mountains yet delicate like feathers, thin, impeccable, perfectly drawn; and gradient, the mesmerizing mix of colors and the expert gradation of shades coming in vivid and magical waves, like iridescent rays of multi-colored sunshine.
Arkiv’s recognized dexterity honed from years of architecture training and his exposure to colors as a graphic designer are the raw ingredients in his art, his mind being the golden pot of all these strange and fantastical characters and designs made incarnate by this adroit fingers.The precise lines, the clean borders, the minute measurement of the tiniest shape and the most minute color combination mixed with an artist’s grace, it’s no wonder his creations are often mistaken as digital print. There’s almost a mathematical skillfulness in the way he draws, a surgical precision in style, coupled with the vibrance of his colors, the paintings themselves seem to move to the sound of their artist’s music.
The Exhibit
In collaboration with Flabslab, Arkiventures is Arkiv’s second exhibit in Singapore, following his first exhibit (again, in collaboration with Flabslab) last year, called ‘One or Nothing’. The exhibit is the portrayal of the turf war between two of the biggest cartoon houses, taking place on the battleground that is created by the artist where the crazy Looney Toons characters wage a perpetual war against their flashy Disney counterparts, a power struggle that would eventually determine the ultimate Cartoon Super Power of the childhood underworld.
The exhibit opened on the 16th of Novemeber and runs until 30th of November, hosted at the Flabslab gallery, where even before the exhibit commenced, pieces were already being sold to international buyers. The opening was a chill gathering of enthusiasts, artists, photographers, collectors and curious art-adventurers, an event filled with a sense of childhood nostalgia and a down-to-earth ambiance that gave a sense of belonging to all who were there.
This atmosphere was further enhanced by the very first UNF, a movement spawned by Flabslab where art-and toy-enthusiasts can gather, share a beer, chill and immerse themselves in art and toys and all things cool…without the cost or awkwardness of being in an art fair where things are a little too pricey for looking. It is a gathering of people ‘united in the belief that art, toys and anything cool should be enjoyed by fellow like-minded scums of the earth’.
Who is Flabslab?
So we’re been reading Flabslab here and Flabslab there…but who or what actually is Flabslab?
Fly Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A Bee. Flabslab is an independent, multi-disciplinary platform founded by Nerf Creative. It celebrates art, trends and creativity, often supporting and holding exhibits of independent urban artists from around the world, creating a platform from somewhere out there, to here in Singapore. It produces and collects toys and artworks from a pool of truly wonderful and iconic artists. And it runs its own art/toy gallery that is open to anyone who wishes to take a peek at the wonderful collection behind its doors, like a portal to Narnia.
In short, Flabslab does…pretty much everything. With the belief on bringing art to the masses without the unnecessary airs of intimidation, Flabslab may very well be Singapore’s urban art Robin Hood.
Written by soap