MONSTERS IN THE CITY by Distort Monsters @ BLAXK by ActionCity
EVENT PRESS: "As the space for pop culture, art and collectibles, BLAXK by ActionCity is proud to present MONSTERS IN THE CITY exhibition together with international urban artist Distort Monsters – his inaugural solo show in Singapore!
Heavily influenced by elements of skateboarding and punk rock, the Philippines based artist is known for is murals of colourful monster characters with bold outlines and multilinear textures. His works are often narrative and introspective in nature, with his monsters being a visual representation of his thoughts and emotions.
The exhibition puts together a fascinating collection of original paintings, art prints, NFTs, sculptures and art toys exclusively for this show. Distort Monsters will be specially in town, so please join us in this captivating celebration of urban art!"
MONSTERS IN THE CITY opens to the public from February 18th (#01-03 Funan, S179105), along with a Meet and Greet Session with @distortmonsters this Saturday, 3pm - 6pm, and 7pm - 9pm.
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UPDATED with Full Press Release:
PRESS RELEASE (17 February 2023, Singapore)
As the space for pop culture, art and collectibles, BLAXK by ActionCity (BLAXK) is proud to present MONSTERS IN THE CITY exhibition together with international artist, Distort Monsters, for his inaugural solo show in Singapore!
Heavily influenced by elements of skateboarding and punk rock, Distort Monsters is a renowned urban artist based in the Philippines primarily known for his murals of colourful monster characters with bold outlines and multilinear textures.
His works are often narrative and introspective in nature, with his monsters being a visual representation of his thoughts and emotions.
Bringing these mischievous monsters to life through various mediums, the MONSTERS IN THE CITY exhibition puts together a fascinating collection of original paintings, collectible art prints, large-scale sculptures and exclusive art toys in both physical and digital formats – celebrating Distort Monsters’ captivating characters and psychedelic art which has created a strong following of collectors and fans worldwide.
Meet Distort Monsters – visual artist extraordinaire!
Distort Monsters began his street art career in 2009. Using art as a means of coping with mental health issues, Distort Monsters liberated himself and expelled the monsters in his head by channeling them as inspiration for his artworks instead, thus transferring anxieties onto canvas and walls.
The artist finds solace in the act of painting these colourful, cartoonish troublemakers, calmed by the repetitive motion of painting detailed linework. It then dawned on him, that “...they’re not angry monsters anymore. Just mischievous, sneaky little b*stards.”
Since then, these impish muses are taking on more forms with brighter and powerful colour contrast, which creates a happy, lively and energetic ‘monster’ style that is now eponymous to the artist’s brand. Now a prolific mural artist, Distort Monsters has also exhibited in galleries in the Philippines and Hong Kong, as well as headlined creative projects for brands including Nike and Globe Platinum.
Original Distort Monsters artworks in Singapore
The MONSTERS IN THE CITY exhibition comprises more than 40 artworks created by Distort Monsters specifically for this inaugural solo show in the city state. This includes the original hand-painted collages of his signature monsters, and the artist also debuts a new Monstermash art style which merges various monsters into a single unique entity. Every creation is unique with lively expressions and inimitable appearance, which engages the audience to ponder the true face of these bizarre yet oddly mesmerising features.
To further extend the value of his unique artworks, as well as bridging street art into the digital space and back to the people, Distort Monsters pairs each physical piece from his Monster Head original paintings with the specific corresponding NFT – to be both a digital asset as well as a certificate of authenticity.
In his previous NFT projects, the monsters are divided into different traits, which are then individually drawn by Distort Monsters and assigned percentages to determine the rarity of each feature. These are then fed into the algorithm to generate completely unique monsters minted as NFTs, and turned into actual paintings by the artist.
As the NFTs for the Monster Head artworks in this exhibition are created by Distort Monsters specially for MONSTERS IN THE CITY, they are hand drawn rather than churned from the algorithm.
Beyond just paintings and NFTs, Distort Monsters also produced his Monster Head series as large-scale sculptures specially for this exhibition – releasing two distinctive designs, limited to one piece each. Peering out through those enormous peepers, the giant heads stand at 1m tall and are hand-painted in weather-resistant paints with protective varnish to add a dash of quirkiness and playfulness in any environment, both indoors and outdoors. Visitors of the show can also experience digital interactions with the giant Monster Heads, which will exist in an immersive AR format for social media and photo opportunities!
Exclusive Distort Monsters art collectibles
Together with BLAXK, Distort Monsters produced a special series of art toys to mark this milestone exhibition in Singapore. Transforming his signature Monster Head artworks and NFTs into art toys, Distort Monsters is launching a series of 10 unique Monster Head art collectibles – each piece being a one-of-a-kind edition.
There will also be a BLAXK-exclusive Monster Head, released in very limited quantity.
The artist will debut a new toy sculpt Hello Monster in this exhibition, highlighting a cheeky welcoming mood in full body glory. A series of 3 Hello Monster art collectibles will be launched, with each piece being a one-of-a-kind edition as well. Stay tuned for the special release of a limited-edition BLAXK-exclusive Hello Monster figure in the coming weeks!
Exclusive Distort Monsters art collectibles
Distort Monsters’ passion for skateboarding has shaped his art career as well, as the artist is drawn to the rich images and street graffiti styles used in skateboard decks. Paying tribute to this key influence in his life, the artist is prolific in creating artworks on skate decks, of which a series of five hand-embellished pieces will be showcased in the exhibition.
MONSTERS IN THE CITY – Pleased to meet you!
Distort Monsters has created a strong impact in the world of street graffiti and urban art, not just through creating a strong visual style synonymous with his brand, but also shining through with his authenticity steeped in his own emotional journey and inspirations. As he mused, “I’ve embraced my monsters and accepted that they are a part of me. From being actual monsters that I’ve had to battle with, they now represent who I am.”
With the message of ‘Pleased to meet you!’, jump into the playful urban art world of Distort Monsters in his inaugural MONSTERS IN THE CITY exhibition! Combining all formats of his artworks including 2D, 3D and digital, the show welcomes you to a mob of cheeky monsters bursting with vibrant energy – let it sweep you up with their powerful uplifting visual styles. Beyond physical paintings, to sculptures and art collectibles of these monsters, the characters are also in AR formats for visitors to interact with digitally!
This exhibition will be open to the public at BLAXK by ActionCity from Saturday, 18 February 2023 to Sunday, 16 April 2023.
About BLAXK by ActionCity
BLAXK by ActionCity (BLAXK) is a space for all things pop culture, design and art. Set up by ActionCity in September 2021, BLAXK marks the 21st anniversary and growth milestone of the brand as the industry thought-leader spearheading the convergence of pop culture, art and collectibles in Singapore. Beyond curating pop art collections through partnerships with world-class artists & brands, BLAXK inspires meaningful and deep connections between all who share a common love for pop art and collectibles through serving as a creative and interactive hub celebrating the vibrant growth of pop culture and community. @theblaxkspace
About Distort Monsters
Based in the Philippines, Distort Monsters is best known for his prolific outdoor murals, street art and paintings featuring colourful characters with bold outlines and multilinear textures. From his passion of skateboarding at a young age, Distort Monsters found himself immersed in other subcultures that entwined skateboarding like graffiti and punk music – forming the key influences of his art career. Distort Monsters’ work, the monsters he described in an epiphanic moment to be the monsters in his head, has been showcased on multiple platforms and projects, all of which centres around staying true to the thing he values as an artist – authenticity. @distortmonsters
