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Joseph CheeVisual designer & creative technologistSingapore

Kiddy Graffiti

Role
Street Artist
Time
2024
Client
School of Art, Design and Media, NTU

Overview

A provocative street art mural at NTU's School of Art, Design and Media that depicts the triumph of human creativity over artificial intelligence, featuring a dynamic composition that resonates with the creative community's resilience.

Challenge

Create a powerful visual statement that captures the collective sentiment of ADM students regarding AI's impact on creative industries while inspiring unity and resilience.

Solution

Designed a symbolic mural featuring a girl on roller skates triumphantly holding a dismembered robot head, representing the victory of human creativity over artificial intelligence.

Impact

Created a rallying point for the ADM community, inspiring students to embrace their unique creative abilities and stand united in the face of technological disruption.

Location & Context

The mural's location at NTU's School of Art, Design and Media was strategically chosen to directly engage with the creative community most affected by AI's emergence. The school's environment, dedicated to nurturing artistic talent, provides the perfect backdrop for a statement about human creativity's irreplaceable value.

The Process

Artistic Vision

The central figure of a girl on roller skates holding a dismembered robot head serves as a powerful metaphor. The roller skates represent agility and forward momentum, while the robot head symbolizes the conquered threat of AI replacement. This imagery aims to empower artists to see themselves as active agents in shaping technology's role in creative fields, rather than passive observers of its advance.

Community Impact

Beyond its aesthetic value, the mural serves as a catalyst for important conversations about the future of creative practice in an AI-dominated world. It encourages students to consider their unique human qualities that cannot be replicated by machines and to find strength in their creative community.

Next projectWays of Seeing
Artist in glasses leaning on a railing in front of the finished Kiddy Graffiti mural, a pink and yellow skater holding a robot head.
Artist in glasses leaning on a railing in front of the finished Kiddy Graffiti mural, a pink and yellow skater holding a robot head.
Two artists in black overalls posing in front of the finished mural of a skating girl holding a dangling robot head.
Two artists in black overalls posing in front of the finished mural of a skating girl holding a dangling robot head.
Digital artwork of the mural design, pink and yellow Kiddy lettering beside a girl on inline skates holding up a robot head by its wires.
Digital artwork of the mural design, pink and yellow Kiddy lettering beside a girl on inline skates holding up a robot head by its wires.
Loose purple sketch of the Kiddy lettering and a girl on inline skates reaching forward with a robot head.
Loose purple sketch of the Kiddy lettering and a girl on inline skates reaching forward with a robot head.
Black line drawing refining the Kiddy wordmark and the skating girl clutching a robot head by its dangling wires.
Black line drawing refining the Kiddy wordmark and the skating girl clutching a robot head by its dangling wires.
Hand picking a can from shelves of purple, pink and red spray paint in an art supply store.
Hand picking a can from shelves of purple, pink and red spray paint in an art supply store.
Graffiti-covered wall behind a metal railing with a green stepladder, before the new mural was painted.
Graffiti-covered wall behind a metal railing with a green stepladder, before the new mural was painted.
Digital mock-up of the Kiddy Graffiti design overlaid on a photo of the existing graffiti wall.
Digital mock-up of the Kiddy Graffiti design overlaid on a photo of the existing graffiti wall.
Artist on a yellow stepladder spray-painting purple outlines over a yellow and pink base coat on the wall.
Artist on a yellow stepladder spray-painting purple outlines over a yellow and pink base coat on the wall.
The completed Kiddy Graffiti mural beneath an ADM painting-area sign, surrounded by older tags and graffiti.
The completed Kiddy Graffiti mural beneath an ADM painting-area sign, surrounded by older tags and graffiti.
Artist with red glasses resting on a railing beside the finished mural, a green stepladder still against the wall.
Artist with red glasses resting on a railing beside the finished mural, a green stepladder still against the wall.
Group of visitors photographing and posing with the finished mural from behind the railing.
Group of visitors photographing and posing with the finished mural from behind the railing.