Street art has become a form of art that cannot be ignored. 'The Resistance Movement' is a group exhibition that portrays four different emerging local artists: Mazlan Ahmad (Skope), Eman Raharno (Clogtwo!), Farizwan Fajari (Speak Cryptic), Shahril Supangat (OneTwoDelta).

Each of them represents both traditional techniques and innovative approaches, and is guided by street influences along with their own individual ideologies. 'The Resistance Movement', a debut showcase from this gang of four in TAKSU Singapore runs from September 12 to October 8.

Photos courtesy of TAKSU Singapore

Farizwan's work stems from his interest in creating the “perfect image” or in his own words “pictures that provoke action and/or thought”. His creations have been deemed more of a visual diary than anything else, but still having their own ability to not completely shut off the audience's own interpretation.

Speak Cryptic uses mixed media on canvas. His works have themes on social service, national education and the concept of home.

He graduated from the Lasalle College of the Arts in 2007 with a Bachelors Degree in Fine Art, majoring in Painting.

In the words of Speak Cryptic himself, his works speak about the ambivalence between a personal standpoint and the consciousness of being a ‘product’ of the environment.

The Seven Deadly Sins are revisited, and given a modern, populist twist. Characters close to the hearts of many are used as icons to represent traits like greed, wrath, sloth and gluttony. Through this exhibition, the artist seeks to showcase how these vices are, unfortunately, embraced and accepted by society.

OneTwoDelta is Shahril Supangat, a graphic designer and illustrator. He is known in Singaporeʼs graffiti scene for his black and white illustrations. Aside from aerosol spraycans, his medium is paint and brushes.

Zaki Razak, a researcher at the Singapore Art Museum writes: "OneTwoDelta isolates fictional candy-like characters from popular culture and represents them in an inviting manner – alluring the viewers for a bitter aftertaste. Its deep-seated enigma proves to be the most distinctive feature that drives society to decadence, deception and barbaric oppression."

Eman Raharno graduated from Temasek Polytechnic Design School with a Diploma in Interactive Media Design. He majors in Motion Graphic Designs, Illustrations and Graphic Designs. He has worked for clients like Ogilvy and Mathers, The Cannery and National Youth Council.

Clogtwo! writes: "Many of us tend to reconstruct the meaning of humanity and the social issues that bother us, but what I want people to think about is the future issue, things that have not happened but are already written in the Al-Quran. The 5 quotes (signs of judgement day) are written in graffiti calligraphy style, this is to symbolise the sense of illegibility and permanence."

As one of the reputable pioneers of graffiti art in Singapore, SKOPE, has been an integral figure in bringing graffiti art to the mainstream audience in the country.

SKOPE is also accredited with creating an awareness of the Singapore graffiti art movement amongst the global graffiti community through his involvements in various international exhibitions and events.

SKOPE represents OAC (Operation Art Core), one of the founding 'crews' in Singapore graffiti art movement and is also part of Kings Destroy, an internationally acclaimed 'crew' founded by renowned graffiti legend COPE2, who hails from New York.

Skope’s series of ‘standards’ – a personal lexicology in questioning the nation’s values by post-producing its symbols and palette into a deliberate mismatched identity - may represent conflicting ideals but also simultaneously resists conventional forms.

The oeuvres of Skope, OneTwoDelta, Speak Cryptic and Clogtwo! bear affinity to the age of decadence believed to be one of the beads to a string that will fall in sequence leading to the end of the world.

The Resistance Movement: Street Art Revisited runs from September 12 to October 8 at TAKSU Singapore. The exhibition is curated by Razi Razak.

"Be it in ancient Middle East, the Middle Ages in Europe or even in modern-day world, how Death captured our minds and how the art surrounds Death are being immortalised either for reassurance or as documentation – there is no harm remembering Death; it is for the better than for the worst", says researcher, Zaki Razak.