Ngār-go, Narrm [Fitzroy North, Melbourne] - Thursday 8th September, 2022

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I sincerely acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Wurundjeri Woiwurrung and Boonwurrung people of the Kulin Nation. I pay all my respects to elders; past, existing and emerging. Sovereigny has never been ceded.

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In 1991 I was born to a Malay-Chinese father and a Portuguese-Malaccan-Dutch-Indian mother. The colloquial names for this ethnicity are kristang, serani, or more commonly, "eurasian". I have always considered my heritage - though a frequent talking point -  to be irrelevant, perhaps because the exact lineage is quite convoluted. It usually depends on how much time we have.

Aside from that, I felt like an Australian growing up, although as time passed I became more aware of the nuance and intricacies of being a second generation migrant.

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My parents, both from Singapore, met as exchange students in Perth where they conceived three successive children and settled there permanently. I am the second-born, which is likely where my diplomatic tendencies originated.

My paternal side being Muslim directly informed my early childhood experience, as it seemed to be in contrast to small town Australiana. Around the turn of the century (post 9/11, leading into the Cronulla Riots) the stigma surrounding the faith of Islam came into public scrutiny. This caused societal friction, and culturally I veered towards a western-centric mode of living. Later in life, I would come to realise that this rebellion had only served to sever the connection to my roots.

Maternally, we were Catholic, often attending church and participating in all the frills of the socially congruous aspects of religion.

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Artistically, I feel that this push-pull has always affected my worldview, practice, and general philosophy. Among my peers, it seemed a rare perspective, although there are examples of this story all over the continent.

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In my early teens, I had ambitions to be an author; then an architect; then an artist, in that order. I loved words, then design and the idea of home and housing, and after having more lived experience moved towards art as a means to meld all of my interests together.

Around age 14 I started attending youth art programs, meeting my first mentor SHIME, who was pivotal in teaching me graffiti lore, culture and technique, after finding my way into the streets and its respective mischief.

Without this guidance, I am not sure what might've happened to me, as I began navigating the world as a young man and forming an identity.

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After high school I entered art school, where I flunked after six months (attendance). This, however, only fertilized my interest. I packed my things and moved to Melbourne in 2012.

Here I began planting seeds to further my practice, which resulted in my first solo exhibition entitled TELL-LIE-VISION in 2013 - an informal study of hypnosis, including a series of diptychs and accompanying prose and poetry.

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This marked the beginning of a life made anew, as I became embedded in the arts and culture of the inner city.

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Fast forward ten years and I am still here, having made the state of Victoria my home, workplace and playground, and i find myself in corners of the city and country that I never predicted nor imagined. 

Now I work within all fields of creativity: music, art, film, fashion- mostly thanks to my friends who keep me tuned in... and if I am able to offer or learn anything I do my best to show up.

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SB

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photo by Nicole Reed @nicasa