Niceaunties: Meditation, Knowing Yourself & Having Fun (Interview)
Who is Niceaunties?
Niceaunties is an artist and designer based in Singapore.
Drawing inspiration from the influential women in her family and the distinct 'auntie culture,' her work delves into themes of aging, beauty, personal freedom, and everyday life through AI art. Her life experiences and architectural training inform the structure and conceptual basis of her pieces, while her focus on the nuanced behaviours of 'aunties' illuminates the culture prevalent in Asian communities.
Influenced by surrealism, fantasy, and kawaii culture, Niceaunties' art champions empowerment and self-expression. Her work has been showcased globally, including exhibitions at Art Basel, PhotoVogue, and a TED talk in Vancouver.
As a Fellowship artist, her AI video works are featured on Fellowship's daily.xyz project. She contributed to Christie's 'Creating Connections' charity auction in 2023. Her art has been featured in Forbes, the Business Times, and on the cover of Telescope Magazine.
Niceaunties
What is something you wish someone had told you before becoming an artist?
Actually, there is nothing I wish someone had told me!
It is really wonderful and exciting to venture into, experience a new field, and see the world like a child again, a privilege I never thought was possible at this stage in life. I never thought I would go through a career change at midlife.
What does your creating process look like?
I spend a lot of time dreaming and marinating ideas before I prompt text to images in collaboration with A.I.
Sometimes I write down or sketch ideas I dream about, making a list of things I have yet to create.
I always start with a broad story outline and a central idea. While creating images in A.I. programs, new ideas emerge from the organic prompting process or unexpected details generated by the machine, inspiring new directions. The narrative develops through this process. I then animate these images using image-to-video A.I. programs and edit the sequences into a final video. I ofen return to the first step of creating images to fill in the story before completing the work, incorporating A.I. music creation and sound editing.
I am influenced by everyday life, imagining big things happening to small events or overlooked entities. I also enjoy wordplay and puns, sometimes across languages. These layers organically exist in my creative work.
Chapter No. 2, Spa Menu #0101 by Niceaunties
Who are 2-3 artists you admire or respect that you think deserve (even) more recognition?
This is a nearly impossible question to answer because there is so much talent, all shining in their own right.
I wish more people would spend time looking at the A.I. video works of Fellowship artists. The group and their works have been carefully curated by the Fellowship team, which is on a mission to seek out and push the boundaries of art.
I also think there is a lot more quality art on Instagram compared to X, showcasing a whole wide world outside of web3.
What do you benefit the most when working with NFTs and the blockchain?
Probably the fact that my digital works are stored permanently somewhere, creating a time stamp in history.
Most of all, I feel like I have learned an awful lot working in this space.
Auntlantis: Sweeping the Floor by Niceaunties
What do you do when you are trying to enhance your creativity?
I learned that, for me, the best way to stay creative is to stay excited and happy.
To achieve this, a healthy, varied lifestyle consisting of new experiences, learning, travel, exposure to culture, positive communication, good food, exercise, and rest is essential.
What skill should anyone harvest early in their career that will pay off massively for years?
I believe it’s the attitude of being committed and caring enough to push whatever you are doing to its best possible outcome.
Additionally, it’s important to discover how to stay excited.
What is one thing you think artists should focus more on, and why?
Artists should focus on self-reflection and personal discoveries. There are many ways to do this, with meditation being the most common practice. Why? Because art is about self-expression, preferably in your unique voice.
How can you express yourself without knowing yourself?
Chapter No. 8, Ikea #0702 by Niceaunties
What’s the hardest part of being an artist?
I believe it requires the courage to be vulnerable, to share work constantly, and to receive critique.
Dealing with the roller coaster of emotions also seems to be part of being an artist. You bare your soul to the canvas (or machine), and in doing so, bare yourself to the world.
This is a terrifying process. This also brings us back to the previous question and answer about knowing yourself.
After doing so, are you comfortable sharing yourself with the world?
What advice would you give to someone just starting their journey as an artist?
Play, have fun.
Don’t take the process of creation too seriously.
Why do you create art?
Self-expression. This is such an over-used term but it has great significance for me, it took me a long while to find my voice and to share it with others.
Creating art also brings me much joy.
Aioli Times by Niceaunties
What’s a book or an article that has greatly influenced your life?
Doraemon, a manga/anime series I grew up with, greatly influenced my imagination. I loved the-door-that-could-take-you-anywhere and the dimensional-pocket that contained objects of all sizes. Quantum universal mysteries and wild adventures in this genius work.
As an adult, I love "The Little Prince" and "The Alchemist" for their themes of personal journeys.
What habit or practice has changed your life the most?
Meditation. Turning vegetarian/pescetarian.
What does success look like to you?
Freedom in all sense of the word.
Abundance in all things that matter: love, health, excitement, adventures, comfort.
Creating things that matter, impacting the world positively.
Chapter No. 3, Factory #0201 by Niceaunties
What is your favorite failure?
Being scammed. It was an expensive lesson but also a big level-up in personal growth.
What are you willing to struggle for?
The curiosity of how far I can push myself to go, whether in art or any other goals.
What single question can you ask yourself daily to guide you closer to success?
“How can I give gifts to myself and the people around me?”
I ask this with the thought that I am very open to receiving all gifts from the Universe. :D
How I Got Here by Niceaunties
What is one strong opinion you have?
Although Asian tough love can be torturous, traumatic, and considered heinous by young-at-heart individuals, it is a precious cultural heritage that should be conserved, managed, and positively evolved.
What lessons from the past do you still carry with you today?
Responding to anger or high negative emotions is never a good idea.
What would you say to your 25-year-old self?
Live in the moment! Don’t take things too seriously.
Chapter No. 5, Auntiesocial #0494 by Niceaunties
Learn more from Niceaunties
Something to read:
Next Up: Niceaunties Channels Singapore’s “Auntie Culture” Into AI Fever Dreams, by NFT Now
Something to watch:
The Weird and Wonderful Art of Niceaunties | TED
Something to listen to:
The weird, wonderful AI art of Niceaunties
