Futura, the godfather of contemporary street art from New York, will hold a Southeast Asian debut solo show in Singapore with "Constellation", where fans can explore his cognitive galaxy through his distinctive abstract graffiti style.
On display at Gillman Barracks, Lock Road, Block 9 #02-21 from tomorrow May 30 until June 9, will be 30 specially commissioned paintings the American graffiti artist created during a two-week residency at the Culture Story art space last year.
Curated by Singapore's leading pop artist, Jahan Loh, the exhibition delves into Futura's inner universe and celebrates his pioneering spirit for inventing new spraying techniques, including his most iconic signature move, the inverted spray.
Utilising a range of materials coupled with finely tuned techniques, this unique series of works demonstrates that Futura's visual style transcends cultural and physical boundaries -- where expression and style, restraint and spontaneity, splatters and control, provide poetic contradiction. The bold, vibrant compositions are marked by a repertoire of forms and iconic motifs he has come to be known for -- characters, atoms, cranes.
Constellation is a nod to Futura's first encounter with Singapore in 1974. As a young Navy petty officer, his maiden voyage to Southeast Asia took place on-board the aircraft carrier USS Constellation, and saw him passing through the harbours of the island city. "The exhibition of my new work is not just a reference to the stars in our universe, but also to the mystery of my personal history and experiences in such a tropical paradise," said Futura.
The exhibition will kick off with a public opening party tomorrow May 30 at 6.30pm, and a limited-edition catalogue stashed in custom-designed ammo boxes will be available for purchase throughout the exhibition period.
To celebrate this landmark art showcase, Dover Street Market Singpapore (DSMS) will present the formal global relaunch of Future Laboratories, the artist's own product brand, at its store on Dempsey Road from Friday May 31.
This is an opportunity for Thai fans who were impressed with the collaboration items Futura made with Hennessy and brought to display in Bangkok six years ago to come and peek into his first seasonal collection of streetwear.
