While the idea of watching graffiti artists working is literally like watching paint dry, it’s also very liberating and involving. Blend that with a bunch of DJs, a brass band and it becomes a night of cutting-edge fun.
Readily available walls for urban artists to spray paint on are hard to come by (yeah, don’t say the “V” word), so it’s great to see an initiave to foster their creativity and grant them the space to do so. Off The Rails – happening at Rail Corridor Art Space on May 23 – is an event/party to celebrate street art, and to bring life and personality to interesting public spaces. Off The Rails will feature cutting‐edge street artists from Singapore, Malaysia and Australia, who will collaborate and jam – some for the first time together – on the walls at the Rail Corridor (see full list in poster below). Here are some highlights:
For those familiar with the Malaysian art scene, you are most likely to recognise the name Kenji Chai. Hailing from Sandakan, Sabah and currently residing in Kuala Lumpur, he has been around the block since 2009. Kenji Chai is famous for his graffiti work that captures funky and colourful characters.
ANTZ‘s meteoric rise from obscurity to becoming one of the upcoming urban artists to look out for stems from his unique illustrative style – a style which makes heavy references to Chinese culture; from mythology to dialect and identity.
Singaporean Reiki was a vinyl-collector who stumbled upon hard hops and nu-skool breaks at the tail-end of the 90s. Her style of DJing gradually developed, resulting in a wide gamut of musical genres in her sets and cemented her a place in London’s Point Blank’s Top Female DJs and Ones To Watch for 2012. With a knack for dropping tunes that heat up the floors, she has performed alongside international DJs Storm, General Midi, Krafty Kuts, SBTRKT + Sampha and beatboxer, live looping artist, Dubfx.
New Stream Brass Band is the first-ever Singapore-based New Orleans style brass band that blends jazz, funk, latin and hip-hop styles with traditional New Orleans brass sounds. New Orleans brass bands are most famous for their “Second Line” parades, part of the city’s rich cultural heritage.
The band was founded in June 2014 by Yohei (Snare drum) and Eriko (Trombone), who have been to New Orleans frequently, where they played gigs with local musicians, street performances and at Second Lines. The band pursues an authentic New Orleans sound, but adds chart hits to its repertoire as well. Its unique sound combines bass and snare drums, washboard, sousaphone as bass, and horns for an unplugged yet vibrant sound.
Malaysian Drew Funk currently resides in Melbourne and can usually be found creating at Blender Studios. As well as on the streets, he has exhibited nationally and internationally. Through six solo shows, a prolific street art reputation, Drew Funk has established himself as a key player in the street and fine art world. Known for a range of styles, including murals, fine ink illustration and painting, the artworks are distinctive, with recurring influences from his cultural heritage and past experiences – animals and mystical creatures often feature across his works.
The Off The Wall deets: (Free admission)
Like this? Here’s another cool thing happening right now – the European Film Festival
