Five works from Mojoko’s ‘Psycho Tropics’ you shouldn’t miss

What happens when the local icons are mixed with multimedia artist Steve Lawler’s (aka Mojoko) whimsical genius? The answers lie in Psycho Tropics, the Kult Gallery founder’s oeuvre of more than 20 psychedelic prints inspired by Singapore’s past, present and future. Pop culture and fantastical motifs abound with local architecture, transportation and people in Mojoko’s latest show. He tells us more about five of his works.

Phantom of the Paradise

‘I made this using images I found around Singapore, including children’s books, music stores, old comic books and TV shows. This work was created for people who say Singapore is boring.’

Snake Bite

‘I took cues from the hallucinogenic effects of cobra venom for this piece. The combination of cartoon and pop culture elements with tropical flora reflects the strange experience of living with two extremes in this modern island city.’

Raffles City Crime Zone

‘This is from a postcard series I created, which was inspired by ’80s action and dystopian films such as Cyborg and RoboCop. These tongue-in-cheek postcards merge the dramatic headlines from R-rated movie posters, thus removing Singapore’s “clean” image while triggering fantasy and imagination.’

Sentosa Island

‘Sentosa’s no longer the peaceful and idyllic place it once was – it’s now overcrowded with casinos and theme parks. This one’s from another postcard mash-up.’

Waterfall

‘This artwork merges a [classical] waterfall painting with the disorientating imagery we are constantly bombarded with on TV, movies and the internet. The pollution of the environment and the corruption of culture is a topic of great motivation to me.’

'Psycho Tropics' is at The Refinery until Nov 20.