Founded 1994 Official website www.phunkstudio.com | Country of origin Singapore | |
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Founders Alvin Tan, Jackson Tan, Melvin Chee, William Chan | ||
phunk studio
Phunk Studio is a Singapore-based contemporary art and design collective formed by four Singaporean artists/designers: Alvin Tan, Melvin Chee, Jackson Tan, and William Chan.
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Phunk began its life in 1994 when its members were fellow design students at LASALLE College of the Arts.
They blend and reinterpret their influences, such as traditional Chinese mythology, craft, philosophy, and folklore, Hong Kong wuxia, Japanese manga and otaku subculture, Western popular culture, art, and design movements, into creations that reflect their multicultural identity, background, and environment.
They challenge the conventional notion of the artist and the commercial design studio by blurring the boundaries between both by focussing on new approaches to visual expressions. Their projects span art, design, publishing, fashion, music, film, and interactive media.
Phunk has worked with brands such as Nike, Nokia, MTV, Daimler Chrysler, Comme des Garçons, Levi's, and Tiger Beer. Their work is featured in international publications and awarded in design award shows. One of their artworks, titled Electricity, was cited in the book Graphic Design, A New History as "Instances of truly global graphic design." They were awarded "Designer of the Year" in 2007 at the Singapore President's Design Award, the nation's highest accolade, for their significant achievements and contributions to design.
They have exhibited and lectured around the world. They represented Singapore at the Gwangju Biennale 2005 and the London Design Festival 2006. The Singapore History Museum hosted their 10-year retrospective exhibition, A Decade of Decadence, in 2005.