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The Straits Times: Phunk and soul

PHUNK-s-installation
27 February 2021
The Straits Times
Media Coverage

Contemporary art and design collective PHUNK – which was founded by LASALLE Diploma in Design Communication alumni Alvin Tan, Melvin Chee, Jackson Tan and William Chan – have published a new monograph Control Chaos: Redefining the Visual Cultures of Asia. This book traces the ways in which PHUNK has mixed urban street culture, art and design to create a unique body of work.

Alvin, Jackson and William met in 1992 when they were graphic design students at LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts. They completed a foundation year in fine arts before majoring in graphic design. They were the first batch of students in Singapore to learn multimedia and animation.

Phunk have always styled themselves as a 'visual rock band'. They developed a high-octane, pop-infused style in the 1990s, exploring visual culture beyond creating logos for clients. They launched Singapore's first design publication, Trigger magazine, in 1998.

Justin Zhuang, one of the authors of the 240-page book, commented that an important aspect of Phunk is their "audacity to reach out to the world while staying anchored to Singapore... [They] were part of a larger cultural shift in Singapore during the 1990s and noughties so in many ways, the PHUNK story is an expression of how Singapore grew from a 'cultural desert' to a creative city."

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