Singaporean graffiti artist Ceno2 is often recognized when he goes abroad, but he is still struggling for recognition in his home country. The noted creative mind is pushing for Singapore to accept the idea of graffiti art as fine art, particularly the brand of graffiti art he practices.
Ceno2 — also known as Mohammad Azlan Ramlan — first developed a passion for the edgy art form by painting a neighbor’s house when his own parents told him he couldn’t do the same to their own. Though the old man could have alerted authorities and pointed out the young artist’s crime, he didn’t. Instead, the old man invited the young artist back to complete the painting, paying him for the project. Ceno2 said the interaction was formative for him, instilling a passion for the pursuit of art as a career — and graffiti art in particular.
School continued to be challenging for Ceno2, who cited a personal art hero as Rembrandt. While he was studying Western painting, fellow students and faculty at art school disparaged him for his graffiti work, telling him he wasn’t an artist because of it. However, through persistence and luck, Ceno2 got his first graffiti art job — besides his neighbor’s house — when he was commissioned to create art for a library. After that, he started to travel the world, doing graffiti art in places like Chicago, New York, Germany, and other locations.
Ceno2’s brand of graffiti is like fine art because he wishes to showcase it like that. He uses fine art and classical artists, like Rembrandt, as his inspiration when creating graffiti art. He often does graffiti interpretations of fine art pieces, as well as using classically inspired techniques in his own graffiti art, such as lots of details for his people and figures. Ceno2’s aim is to create graffiti art that inspires viewers to have emotional connections to a place while improving the community as a whole. He also hopes to encourage Singapore to accept graffiti as a fine art so that the nation can begin to develop its own take on the creative genre. With more acceptance, Singapore will be able to bridge gaps within the art world and shine on a national stage, like other graffiti-friendly communities.
Are you inspired by monumental graffiti artworks you pass by on your regular commute between home and work? Are you curious about how and why they are created? If you’ve ever been interested in the study and practice of graffiti art, there’s no better time to sign up for an art class via SGArtClass.com. This website offers a collection of art classes, including graffiti art, to help you hone your craft while answering essential questions. Expert teachers will help you plan and scale your graffiti projects as well as helping you decipher where to realize these projects and how to get permission to complete them.
To read more about the efforts to make graffiti art more widely accepted, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/ceno2-wants-singapore-to-see-graffiti-as-fine-art.