The artist using AI to put ‘Asian aunties’ in surreal situations – meet Singapore’s illusive Niceaunties
- The anonymous Singaporean creative was a partner at Spark Architects before getting into AI-driven art, which has led to a Ted talk, a Christie’s 3.0 charity auction and billboards in New York’s Times Square and now Hollywood
- She uses Midjourney, Dall-E 3, Magnific AI, RunwayML, Pika Labs AI and Suno to create video; buy her finished work as an NFT on Daily, a digital art gallery from the platform Fellowship
In the weird and wonderful Auntieverse imagined by Singaporean AI artist Niceaunties, it seems anything is possible. Auntie mermaids with plastic bottle tails attempt to clean the beach and ocean floor on a planet choking with plastic waste; an auntie rides a robot camel time machine across the desert in search of a cake she ate 33,333 years ago; aunties soak in giant steaming bowls of ramen; aunties take spa days with plants sprouting from their skin; aunties proudly sport impractical, absurd and outsize hairdos; or they take to the catwalk to display their outlandish fashion sense.
The word aunties is used in Singapore and other parts of Asia as a term for older women – not simply direct relatives – and there’s nothing that can stop these endearing, eccentric ladies from expressing themselves: partying, dancing, taking risks and generally letting go of their inhibitions.
Quashing stereotypes and breaking free from the shackles placed on women in society, Niceaunties’ empowering narratives celebrate individuality by presenting alternate realities served up with generous dollops of wit and humour.
“It’s about perspectives and perhaps offering another one,” says the artist, who prefers not to divulge their real name.
“It’s also about being lighthearted and not taking things too seriously,” she adds. Aunties could be imparting culinary knowledge at a cooking school on the moon, or running MoMA – the Museum of Modern Aunties – that also doubles as a community centre. But none of these aunties exist in real life. They stem from the artist’s imagination and have been brought to life through AI. The resulting films invite viewers to follow outrageous aunties on their wild, impossible adventures, as well as during more mundane moments.
“It started as a fun project, imagining and constructing a positive alternative story for the term ‘auntie’, which was often viewed negatively,” explains the artist. “I was also trying to understand why auntie culture exists and why aunties behave in certain ways, particularly when it involves criticism or unsolicited comments. I think I’m still trying to figure this out.
“I realised AI is a great way to express my observations over the years on how women suppress, control, beautify and shape themselves, often through self-imposed restrictions and rules. I wanted to imagine the alternative lives suppressed beings could live, loosely based on the women in my life,” the artist continues. “With so much accumulated inside, it became a natural subject matter – especially since AI felt like the shortest path between my ideas and the visuals.”
Inspired by the women in her family and the wider auntie culture – hallmarked by character traits of resourcefulness, adherence to rules, traditionalism and opinionatedness when offering well-intentioned if unwanted advice – Niceaunties’ surrealist art examines themes like ageing, beauty and personal freedom. It does so by mixing elements of daily life with the aesthetics of kawaii culture.