niceaunties FAQ

The Auntieverse is my ongoing world-building project exploring the cultural archetype of the auntie, a figure deeply embedded in everyday life yet often misunderstood or misrepresented. In many Asian societies, the term 'auntie' is both a familial title and a social label, carrying assumptions about age, personality, and societal roles.

Through the Auntieverse, I reclaim this term, transforming aunties into protagonists: figures of humour, resilience, and self-expression. It offers a space where aunties transcend societal judgment, moving through speculative cities, surreal economies, and imagined futures.

'Auntie culture' is a term that captures the social behaviours, attitudes, and archetypes commonly associated with older women in Asian societies. In Singapore, where I grew up, 'auntie' can be used affectionately, neutrally, or pejoratively. Aunties are often seen as practical, outspoken, and resourceful, yet also associated with outdated tastes or nagging tendencies.

At the same time, aunties embody tough love and complex forms of care, expressing concern through sharp-tongued remarks, indirect affection, and gestures like preparing food rather than saying the words. Their comments might sting, but their intent is often protective. These subtleties, unique to their generation, may not exist in the same way in the future.

The aunties of today, bold, direct, sometimes rude, always forthcoming, are a reflection of their era, their culture, and their region. They emerged from a transitional generation, navigating tradition and modernity, often caught between the expectations placed upon them and their own desires. In another 50 to 100 years, the aunties we know today may no longer exist in the same way.

Future generations of women will likely embody new ideals, shaped by more personal freedom and individual choice rather than collective duty. Aunties of tomorrow will be different from the aunties of today, influenced by evolving gender roles, shifting social structures, and a greater sense of self-determination.

This raises an urgent question: how do we preserve the essence of auntie culture before it disappears?

Through the Auntieverse, I use technology to document and reinterpret this generation of aunties, their behaviours, quirks, and unique forms of expression, before they fade from collective memory. The project acts as a living archive, capturing their contradictions: their love hidden behind sharp words, their resilience in the face of change, their ability to navigate between the past and present.

My practice is shaped by three things: architecture, family, and the auntie love language.

I spent nineteen years in architecture, nine as a partner in a single practice. It is a field rooted in spatial storytelling and problem-solving, and that thinking runs through everything I make. The aunties in the Auntieverse inhabit meticulously crafted environments: factories, spas, jelly malls, speculative cities. The worlds are built the way buildings are built, with structure, intention, and atmosphere.

I also grew up in a large, multi-generational household, where I experienced the nuances of auntie culture firsthand. The project reflects both personal memories and broader cultural themes, examining how these women express love, authority, and care.

And then there is the auntie love language. Unlike traditional notions of affection, aunties show love through criticism, food, and unspoken gestures. A harsh comment about weight is not an insult but a sign of concern. A plate of cut fruit carries more meaning than words. This complex love language is central to the Auntieverse, and something I want to document before it fades.

From its beginning, the Auntieverse has evolved thematically and formally, moving from social and community narratives to environmental themes, and eventually merging the surreal with real-world interaction.

The early works focused on reinterpreting auntie behaviours, beauty standards, and body image, turning mundane activities like cooking, laundry, and dance into surreal, exaggerated spectacles.

Over time, the project expanded to address consumerism, mass production, and environmental degradation. Going Home is a poetic film exploring deforestation and displacement through the story of an orangutan forced out of its home. Niceburg and Snowman address the climate crisis and rising sea levels, portraying aunties navigating melting landscapes and drawing parallels between environmental loss and cultural displacement. Along the River in Auntieverse, commissioned by Christie's for the 2024 Art + Tech Conference in New York, reinterprets the historic scroll painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival through a contemporary lens, exploring human relationships with water, pollution, and urban transformation.

The project took a new turn during an art residency in Pueblo Garzón, Uruguay, where I integrated the work into real landscapes for the first time. Photographing the village, I introduced AI-generated aunties into the images, creating an augmented reality of aunties navigating unfamiliar terrain. The final installation, Aunties in Dis Place, featured large-scale laundry sculptures and projections on hanging layered fabric, mirroring the layers of experience one crosses when entering a new place.

For a deeper look at how the Auntieverse has evolved, read the feature in Silk Art House.

It starts with an idea, sparked by everything around me: memories, history, emotions, current affairs, nature, beautiful things. I imagine what it would look like if this were placed over there, or what happens when unlikely ideas are collaged together. In architecture, that process moved from sketches to 3D modelling to renders. AI works in a very similar way; the ideation and experimentation follow the same instincts, just much faster, which creates a momentum and flow that keeps the work evolving.

Many scenes in the Auntieverse do not exist in reality. AI enables their creation, bridging the gap between imagination and visual execution. But the generated images and videos are never the end product. I refine everything using manual editing, compositing, and storytelling techniques, ensuring a balance between technology and artistic intent.

The Auntieverse sits at the intersection of cultural preservation, speculative fiction, and technology. AI is not the subject of the work. It is a tool that allows me to ask larger questions about ageing, identity, culture, and the figure of the auntie.

Yes, absolutely! Everything I do is an extension of the Auntieverse, and I'm always looking for ways to reframe perspectives in a positive way. If our values, energy, and goals align, I would love to start a conversation. For brand collaborations, please contact my manager Yann at yann@culture3.com. For everything else, get in touch with me directly here.

Head over to my events page for upcoming exhibitions, screenings, and talks.

Yes! Please credit niceaunties. I'd love it if you also drop me a line to let me know, and if you can, send me a link to your published piece or a copy of your magazine!