Why etching prints?
The illustrations I draw are generally linear and often contain fine details, hence the format. Also the concept of repetition in a kaleidoscope mirrors the processes in printmaking, where many copies of a similar image can be produced from a single plate.

What inspires you?
The natural world; it is like an encyclopedia of textures, patterns and colors. The fascination with psychedelic stuff also influences my thoughts on the idea of extraction and abstraction.

Is art a reflection of life or a mystery?
Both. Art could be a reflection of the artist’s expression, thought and also a mystery to people viewing it. Everyone would have a different emotion when they see an artwork.

Where do you see yourself in another five years?
I see myself as a visual artist expressing my ideas and illustrations across different mediums. It would be great to expand my illustrations across different areas like that of wallpaper design, textile and perhaps even fashion prints.

Without art, life would be… 
Merely an existence instead of living.

Famous last words?
Go ahead, do as you please.

TRANSMISSION: Kaleidoscope is on through June 9 at PHUNK.

To work up the crowd, I… give them some bass. More Bass. Lots of Bass. And if they want more, I'm tossing them a seabass.

My last best gig was… at Cargo in London. Great club, great crowd. Also, a place called Grelle Forelle in Vienna which was really cool. It's not often you get to see a club with an entire wall full of speakers in your face.

I like it hard when it comes to… Uppsss. I never like it hard though, I always try to manage things in a possible, easy way. Being hard is too difficult.

My poison of choice is… airline food.

No girls… no party!

When the going gets tough… I'm off to sleep.

Marcin Czubala headlines Super 0 | Party like ‘Your Mama’s Friend.’ on May 19 at the newly renovated Loof.

In 1999, Cultural Medallion winner and contemporary local artist Lee Wen created the provocative interactive video work World Class Society for Nokia Art Singapore. In a sepulchral room imbued with white and designed like a prison cell, one visitor at a time watches, through a white cloth tube, a close-up of Lee dressed like a typical servant and delivering a bombastically satirical speech replete with the words “World class.” Visitors are also required to fill up a questionnaire at the end of the exhibition and receive a badge. More than 13 years later, Terry Ong turns the table on the artist in an interview format reproduced based on the original questionnaire.

About yourself
Lee Wen, male, 54 going on 669.

Your income per year?
Tell you after i submit my tax returns.

Do you consider yourself very poor/poor/middle-class/rich/very rich?
I sleep under shelter from the elements, i go where the action takes me, the only time i feel poor is when my money cannot buy what SHE (the one i lay with) wants.

Where would you like to live in other than in Singapore?
Italy or Mali.

If not creating art, what would you rather be doing?
Making love or music if not lunch.

Do you think Singapore is a sophisticated city?
Used to be but not anymore. when the white man cheated the sultan it's been downhill all the way.

Do you think Singapore is a renaissance city of the arts?
No but trying ah very hard.

What is the most important thing in the arts?
Humanity, love, compassion and giving serious critical responses.

What is the most important thing in life?
Love.

Lee Wen’s solo exhibition Lee Wen: Lucid Dreams in the Reverie of the Real is on through June 10 at the Singapore Art Museum.

What can we look forward to?
The collection—Let the Weak Say I Am Strong—will bear the label’s signature DNA and tactile touch and see a progression from the acid designs of my diffusion line pH3. The 30-odd piece collection draws inspiration from the strength and fragility of industrial materials, fusing together a palette of midnight ink, brittle porcelain whites and the shine of industrial metal.

Thoughts on local fashion? 
While there has been much headway made in the local retail scene in recent years, more time and effort will be needed to steer the scene to that of an international standing. It’s also heartening to witness more design-centric labels gaining a following here, but there is undeniably a gap for young Singaporean labels to set up shop. The good news is, I believe that our consumers are ready for much more and it will be exciting to see how our retail landscape will morph within the next few years.

Future plans?
Currently, we have received great interest from several overseas multi-label boutiques and are stocked in several local and international stores in Hong Kong and KL. We are excited and hope to bring the label to more cities such as Korea and London later this year.

Any tips for young local fashion designers?
Be prepared to work really hard and never let go of your vision. Stay true, grounded and curious.

I wanted to be a Secret Agent as a kid. I was very fat, but won the long jump trophy when I was in Primary 5.

I was also really good at chapteh (a round, flat rubber circle base, with colorful feathers coming out of the top) and used to challenge boys in classes above me, during recess. Plus, I was a demon at ping-pong.

My parents taught me that the most worthwhile ventures are made with love. I get inspired when I realize the interlocking shared experiences of life, and how beautiful and fragile it is.

Live with love in your heart and mind, from moment to moment.

I’ve never been caught committing a felony.

Politics is a very dirty game that turns its participants into very dirty people.

Blatant, premeditated cruelty and rationalized greed make me sick in the stomach. I abhor the use of destructiveness to get what one wants.

When I’m really upset, I concentrate on my breathing to help clear the mind.

I’m a very sentimental person. I believe in caring compassion, way above any kind of material or technological success, or economic statistics that try to persuade one that that’s what life is about.

Life is a miracle. I have no idea what its meaning is, though. When there is harmony, sympathetic vibrations expand exponentially in magnitude.

Life is also ironic; apparent opposites are often flip-sides of one another.
I collect memories.

I believe in mutual love and respect. The powers that rule the world are very, very far from that.

I love to sleep or play the guitar (sometimes keyboards) and write songs when I’m feeling something strongly.

Life, sexuality, music and my wife Swee Lin turn me on.

Why Vue Privée?
I moved to Singapore in 1998, a passionate young photographer with big dreams. Years down the road, having worked on campaigns for major local and international brands, I realized I was still deep down a frustrated artist. Becoming a fully-fledged artist was out of the question, so I decided to open an art space that would promote all those wonderful photographers and artists out there, with the hopes of launching their artistic careers.

What differentiates you guys from other galleries?
We do not really like to be called “a gallery.” Nothing wrong with the word, but it is very limiting in vision. We want to be a space where artists and the general public feel empowered by art. We help young artists with the production of their works and cover all their transportation, framing and installation costs.

Why the move?
The new venue in Spottiswoode Park provides us with more flexibility. This wide open space provides the perfect, blank canvas to showcase large-scale works that require more viewing distance, enhancing the experience for the viewer to appreciate them.

You guys also have a strong online platform; so why the need for a physical space?
We are a mortar business. Our online platform allows us to reach the whole world. But we are still based out of Singapore and it is important to have a physical presence in order to create dialogues among artists.

Why do you think affordable art has taken off in such a big way?
Art uplifts people and everyone should be able to own at least one piece of original art in their home. At Vue Privée, buying accessible priced art does not mean you are necessarily buying a cheaper artist. It just means that you are paying the fair price for something produced in a higher edition number. It is a great way to not only start collecting, but also a wonderfully unique gift idea. And you can potentially also buy something that may gain value with time when the artist gains notoriety.

Vue Privée is now located at 63 Spottiswoode Park. Check out their current exhibition, Buy Bye.