PUBLISHED May 21st, 2021 06:00 am | UPDATED July 22nd, 2024 02:41 pm
Splashed across the noise barriers along Bali Lane and Ophir Road are five-metre tall street art pieces of imaginative illustration. Bold colours, graffiti-type lettering and Singaporean motifs are just some of the things you’ll see. Cementing Kampong Gelam‘s reputation as the go-to street art precinct, the graffiti Hall of Fame (the first of its kind in Southeast Asia) was launched in April 2021, featuring larger-than-life creations by 17 Singapore-based artists.
We talk with Sei Nishiyama (better known by his artist name Sei10), full-time tattooist and one of the 17 chosen artists about techniques, body art, and his love for the Singapore street art community.
Hi Sei, congratulations for being one of the 17 artists to launch Southeast Asia’s first official Hall of Fame! Tell us more about the inspiration behind your mural and your favourite part in creating it.
Thank you! I was lucky to be chosen – I literally just woke up and stuck my head out of the window when Zero and Jaba offered me a spot on the project. The inspiration, if you’ve seen it, is pretty straightforward – ocean pollution and the impact of man.
I wanted to do my version of the classic ukiyo-e painting (a genre of Japanese art that flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries) of Tamatori Hime with my own little twist. I chose to include the subject of ocean pollution because we really need to stop our bullsh*t when it comes to the ocean. A lot of times when I go fishing, be it in the ocean or the fresh waters around Singapore, every other reel in is rubbish. It’s sadness beyond measure.
How was working on the Hall of Fame different from your previous graffiti pieces?
The biggest difference was definitely the size of the wall. Honestly, the whole thing was a challenge since I’m pretty new to street art so yes, the height, the planning, and the improvisation.
You’ve carved out a sustainable career as a tattoo artist. How did you get into tattooing initially? Is there a particular tattoo you’ve worked on that is really memorable?
When I was in secondary school, a lot of the kids would get tattooed at dodgy places, and come back to school and show off. Even though they were just lines and probably weren’t well done, I was fascinated by them. The moment I realised I wanted to tattoo was after I got my first real tattoo, and found out that a tattoo apprenticeship was a thing. I quit school not long after and went from there.
Memorable tattoos? I’ve done enough of those to count. Some are memorable for the piece itself, some for being a cool client, and some for being the worst clients.
How then did you interest in street art come about?
Through one of my closest friends and fellow Hall of Fame artist, Boonbaked.
Do you think tattooing and street art differ in art form?
They are both extremely different, but also very similar in some ways. For example, the different sizes of needles and the type of caps you can change for the cans. Linework and filling in requires a lot of technique. The big difference is probably the size and type of canvas you’re working on.
You mention that you like to infuse meaning within your street art. What kind of messages or ideas do you like to play with in your pieces? Do you have any favourites?
It really depends on what I’m feeling, and the all around mood I am in during the period that I’m working on the sketch. I enjoy painting Japanese pieces, especially phoenixes and dragons because they are meant to be big “in real.” I do paint/draw in a different style sometimes to be able to show or tell messages more easily.
Sometimes I enjoy drawing Chicano script and lettering – I fell in love with it through tattooing! Back then, when stencil machines for tattoos were nonexistent and we didn’t have too many choices for stencil papers, the stencil would disappear a lot when wiping, and we had to redraw it with markers. Being in a street shop then, we had a lot of walk-ins requesting script and many different types of fonts. Slowly from redrawing the original, I started to do it freehand and found it immensely fun.
Hall of Fame also boasts a few collaborative murals on Ophir Road. Are there any graffiti artists you would like to work with on a piece and why?
Kringe. He’s probably one of my favourite local writers. His style and flow is crazy. Interesting guy too! Of course I would love to work more with Sic7 guys as always (Boonbaked and Has.J). Anyone from RSCLS or ZNC would be cool too. You know what? Any local writer would be cool to work with, I’m sure.
Lastly, any words of wisdom for budding tattoo or graffiti artists?
Research and respect first. Learn to know your local scene, learn to know your craft, try to respect the traditions and the OGs! Really the same way you should approach anything – with respect and sincerity. But then again, who the hell am I to tell anyone anything?
Images courtesy of One Kampong Gelam.