CO PLAY - A New Creative Hub For Local Artists and Toy Collectors

Hi Huneybees,

There's a new playground in town for local and international artists and their fans. If you are an avid pop culture art collector like me and hubby, you are definitely in for a treat! Come on down to CO PLAY in Plaza Singapura, a first-of-its-kind communal habitat that's decked with an extensive collection of designer art and collectibles of various mediums.

It's an amazing space where artists can gain exposure and interact with their fans, bringing vibrancy to the local art scene. Just right above the Pop Mart, you can find this creative space and keep a close tab on their social media as there will always be workshops as well as artist interaction.

Connecting Collectors & Public with Artists

To foster a community to drive local indie art development, CO PLAY has assembled a diverse cast of artists to showcase Singapore's rich artistic tapestry. You can find 6 local artists-in-residence - Eric Chew (@sapientoystudio), Jeremy Tanavit (@Tanavit23), Lester Lim (@lesdoublewood), Rex Le (@my_spacecats), Toby Tan (@tobyato) and Yang (@yang_ovo), with their very own open studio booths. Popping by at different times, you can find them working on their latest projects. I like to explore the space, enjoy the artworks and chat with them on the concepts behind their works...

Eric Chew (@sapientoystudio)

Founded in 2020 by Eric, Sapien Toy Studio has gained a cult fanbase of his iconic Chewthulhu character, an artist's take on the mighty cosmic entity Cthulhu. He has released over 10 colour variants worldwide and is welcoming more sapien monsters into the lineup. He will be launching new characters including Elo and Kora-Kora at CO PLAY!

Jeremy Tanavit (@Tanavit23)

Created in Singapore but raised on a tasty diet of Thai values, Jeremy aka JEM is best known for his creation, the mischievous JEM - a playful tiger character that's always on the prowl for something fun to do, poking his head around corners and turning the streets into his playground, juxtaposing the fierce and the cute. Check out different variations of JEM and his companion Pitohui, that's actually inspired by a poisonous bird! 

Lester Lim (@lesdoublewood)

Lester a well-established name in the local creative industry, making splashes in the local art scene with his bold outlined Jelilo character. Inspired by the beauty and unique flair of jellyfish, Jelilo is the artist's charming rendition of the ocean's quiet residents, showcasing a soft-bodied creature with a retro-futurism style and a strong message of anti-bullying.

Rex Lee (@my_spacecats)

With just a marker pen, Rex has won the popular appeal of transforming works through the use of stippling. His 2D-styled booth makes an amazing space for photos, walk into it and discover his intricate works featuring his signature Space Cat character. 

You have got to check out his customized Molly and Bearbrick, zoom in on all the details to see all his fine work...

Toby Tan (@tobyato)

A name that has been tied to street culture, Tobyato's bold, striking artworks are inspired by Chinese motifs and playful influences that reflect both his own heritage and personality. The urban visual artist has already worked with multiple brands such as UNIQLO, G-SHOCK, Shake Shack, Levi's, etc. His 'dumpling shop' at CO PLAY showcases his urban art creations into morsels of bite-sized art for everyday consumption!

Yang (@yang_ovo)

Pop into this fairycore-inspired space of Yang, where you can find her signature OOJA in various customized looks. Being a cancer fighter, OOJA was birthed as a whimsical concept of a brave little girl who wants to positively impact the world through an exploration of health and food, hence the Campbell soup body for the character. There's a custom OOJA contest going on, check out the details on her insta.

With the mandate to support the development of the local arts scene through growing artists and creatives, CO PLAY has also attracted support from organizations sharing the same objectives. This year, UNIQLO Singapore is partnering CO PLAY to encourage shoppers to support local arts and cultural communities #WithUT over two weekends at the Orchard Central Global Flagship Store. To launch this partnership, CO PLAY’s artists-in-residences created a new UTme! collection – Playful Memories, and will also be creating live art sessions for shoppers at UNIQLO Orchard Central to be part of these activities.

By Taketo Kobayashi (@humanoise)

Bringing Art to Life Through Exploration & Collaborations

Beyond the open studios by local artists-in-residences, CO PLAY is also the enabling platform for new creative talents exploring the world of designer art toys, and for established artists to dive deeper into the world of Intellectual Property creation.

There is painter Angelina Lim (@ellalinaart) who has recently started creating custom art toys as well as conducting live art sessions within CO PLAY; visual artist wunderkind Sam Lo (@skl0), best known for his large-scale vibrant murals all over the island, has also painted a wall mural at CO PLAY, and will be showcasing his urban artworks as well as launching his art toy series at this space.

To further tap into a diverse pool of visual and urban artists who are keen to explore creating their own designer art-toys, CO PLAY has also partnered with artist Taketo Kobayashi (@humanoise) to launch an initiative Proto Toyz, a visionary project to create bespoke artworks and collectibles in limited runs for renowned local artists including Adeline Tan (@yell0w), ANTZ (@antz_rscls), Boon Baked (@boonbaked), Chris Chai (@cosmicchai), Farizwan Fajari (@speakcryptic), Kit (@kitctrlaltdelyou), Race Krehel (@supercybertown), Williem Siddik (@siddwills), ZERO (@zero_x_rscls_o) and more.

Andre Tan (@andretanart)

Other partners include Wasuka Art (@wasuka.art) to feature talented pop artists from Singapore including Andre Tan (@andretanart) whose popular works focus on the impact of popular brands and contemporary cultural icons delivered through vivid colours and witty humour, Kin (@kin80) who is known for his colourful world of wonderful characters amidst surreal landscapes in local context, as well as Emily Moh (@em_ceramic_art) best known for her whimsical pop art creations in ceramics. Beyond the local talents, there are also key works from international artists such as Piao Cheng Long (@piao_chenglong_art) from China and Buakow Phasom (@buakowphasom) from Thailand. With their distinct styles and unique perspectives, these artists bring a diverse range of pop art to CO PLAY, each reflecting their individual personalities and the different cultures that they are influenced by.

CO PLAY also hosts overseas artists including Benzilla (@benzilla ) from Thailand, Distort Monsters (@distortmonsters) from the Philippines, as well as Daytoner (@day_toner) from Canadian studio Purearts (@pureartsofficial). These exchanges have further fostered collaboration opportunities with local artists. Through this space, Benzilla collaborated with COPLAY artist-in-residence Jeremy Tanavit to launch a new designer art-toy ‘BIRDZILLA’, a combination of Tanavit’s Pitohui character with Benzilla’s signature ‘LOOOK’ design.

Created my own ceramic piece with Emily Moh.

Creating The Collectors’ Playground

Remember those days when weekend toy flea markets were the big thing? Shopping for limited edition or rare finds was the biggest accomplishment and to bring back that nostalgic feeling, CO PLAY has an on-site collectors’ bazaar corner.  Collectors will set up stalls in the space every Saturday between 4pm to 8pm to sell both pre-loved and mint vintage toys, designer figures, and rare collectibles.

Beyond the collectors’ bazaar, there will also be workshops conducted by artists, ranging from illustraton and painting to pottery, where you can look forward to getting your creative juices flowing and producing your very own art pieces under the guidance of the artists including Rex Lee, Angelina Lim and Emily Moh!

Truly the melting pot for artists and collectors to connect and interact, CO PLAY inspires new creative journeys into the world of designer art collectibles and artworks. Other than inspiring artists to collaborate and engage, this concept space enables both artists and the public alike to bring their imaginations to life as artworks and collectibles and is the creative platform to represent Singapore’s developing pop culture and arts scene to the rest of the world. Come pop by and see you at CO PLAY!

CO PLAY

Plaza Singapura, #03-67 to 69, 68 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238839
Opening Hours: 11am-9.30pm daily
https://www.instagram.com/coplaysg/

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