Hafi (34) & Relational Identity

This article is initiated by Don’t Mind if’s collaboration with Stella from Our Tender Deeds to document and archive creative journeys of those who labour within Singapore’s Communication Design industry and community. Each interviewee answers 10 questions and documents part of their lives with a film camera.

Words from Stella

The day we met, Hafi and I separately ordered the same Duck Fat Potato Galette and Good ol’ Chai at Modo to our amusement. Then chatting with the celebrated illustrator in the quiet second storey of the old-world shophouse, Pixie and I were enchanted by her sureness of self and candid confidence.

Even after a long Wednesday brunch together, we couldn’t help feel like we had but scratched the surface of Hafi’s vibrant everyday - what with peeks of her fencing on Instagram, talks of a Cuties Hiking Club, work for Asian Civilisations Museum, Formula 1 Grandprix and the 101 pop ups she’s cooking up at any one time in collaboration with big-name brands like Vans, Samsung and Hermes. Even appearing on publications like Herworld and L’officiel.

Bringing none of these achievements up, Hafi had instead made sure we understood what ties it altogether for her — the thread of relational identity; with culture, with womanhood, with family and with one’s self. Plus a sprinkle of humour for good measure!

Credits to Lincoln Yeo and Portia Tan from Shibui World

“I am a self-employed illustrator, designer and visual artist. I love hiking, going on very long walks, hosting dinner parties and watching F1 races on tv with my friends. I like gardening too!”

Seasonings Magazine - The Hungry Ghost Festival Edition (Left) and Hari Raya Puasa Edition (Right)

“One of my many passion projects, Seasonings Magazine, started when Pamelia Chia (Pam) reached out via Instagram. I had read her wonderful book, Wet Market to Table which shines a spotlight on local ingredients from these markets, so it was a huge fangirl moment for me.”

“We both have a keen interest in the cultural history behind foods and so, after many Zoom calls (we work remotely as we’re in different parts of the world), we decided to work on the magazine together - focusing on food culture and narratives around festivals celebrated in Singapore. We felt that a magazine would be a great medium for the topic as it’s informal, accessible and more approachable for our audience.”

Photo credits to Joel Chua

“I studied Creative Media Design (now known as Visual Communication) in Singapore Polytechnic and went on to get a BFA in Visual Communication in School of Art, Media and Design at Nanyang Technological University. I felt that my diploma education was very touch and go, and not having learned a lot during my earlier internships meant I had difficulty opening up and adapting to new work environments.”

Spreads from various editions of Seasonings Magazine

“It was only when I pursued my degree that I felt the hunger to learn as I was able to pick courses I was interested in. I ended up doing a Minor in Art History, which may seem irrelevant to my major, but lent me many opportunities for visual analysis and study on art movements which overlap with that of graphic design. This helped me look beyond the end product of creative projects – whether done by myself or others.”

“I’ve always wanted to be an independent illustrator or an artist for as long as I can imagine. I do not come from a privileged background so could not start off my career as one nor consider being a freelancer to boot. I always felt like I had to have a stable income to support myself, my lifestyle and fulfil my filial duties towards my parents.”

‘Gadis-Gadis Bunga Orked’ for Vogue Singapore

“I worked at branding agencies before moving in-house for bigger corporates / tech firms. I enjoy being part of a team and working with people who possess diverse skill sets - this helped me broaden my horizons and changed the ways I view my own capabilities as a designer and illustrator.”

“While holding a full-time job, I did a lot of illustration and art projects on the side. One of my aims then was to work on a solo show, on Online Dating - a topic relatable for a lot of women my age. I experienced a lot of setbacks in the pursuit of love and I often wondered if I was alone in experiencing all these bad dates. My coping mechanism had always been to turn to humour and drawing’s always been my tool of choice to document my feelings and thoughts. So with this material, I decided to do a self-funded show – Good Dates Bad Dates which I was so proud of myself for pulling off with the help of family, friends and co-workers who gave up so much of their time helping with setup, sound and logistics. It was truly a ground up initiative and very community driven.”

“After doing the show (which turned out to be a big hit), I became more known for my illustrations and art rather than what I did at my 9-5, which I then got laid off from during COVID, like many other creatives. Understandably my first reaction was to panic but it also made me realise that I didn’t want a job to define my personality and life. That was the turning point where I decided to stand my ground and pursue an independent practice.”

“In that sense, the pandemic, like for many others, forced me to ask myself questions I had been avoiding. This made me reprioritise what value-added to my life and what held importance to me as a person. I wanted to do work that resonated with me and that I found meaningful. I wanted my skills as an illustrator to be channelled toward such thoughtfully chosen projects.”

Anti-clockwise from top life: Paintings of grand aunt Nyai Yok with a friend, grant aunt Nyah Nah at a baking contest and most recently completed - Breakfast

“As a creative person, I’m definitely not the best at handling my finances but am fortunate that I can pick up financial literacy from my brother and a trusted financial-planner friend. When I first started out as a creative at a local studio straight out of college, my pay was so meagre, I don’t know how I survived and managed to set aside money for my parents. I knew at the point that I couldn’t remain in that pay bracket - I wanted to move out from my family home - so I pivoted to working in-house at an MNC. One of my biggest worries when I decided to go freelance was not being able to afford rent, but staying positive and being able to focus on what I love doing - as woo woo as that sounds - has made my life so abundant in other ways. So I would say, do what works for you, something can always be worked out.”

“My creative process isn’t necessarily the same for every project or brief as there’s no set template that works for everything. The colour palette I’ve become known for, was actually a choice I made when I was starting out and felt it easier to limit myself to a number of colours when working on a piece. My works usually portray women so you could say that I am also highly inspired by the women in my life and those who came before me. I like my art to be relational with a touch of humour.”

“A project that I’m proud of is the Kenduri (Banquet) series of rugs I worked on in collaboration with Journey East. I’ve always wanted to design rugs beyond the DIY tufting realm so when project coordinator Rafiq from Feral approached me, I was super excited.”

“Throughout my childhood, my extended family would always sit on the floor and eat communally on a rug. It was easier for my grandparents to accommodate everyone that way in their humble 3-room flat in Teban Gardens. There was something quite magical about having a multi-generational family eating altogether - the chatter and the food tasting even better when eaten with loved ones (my Nenek was an excellent cook so the food always slapped even if it was the simplest tahu goreng). This warmth was what I wanted to capture, the Malay generosity and hospitality, as homage to my late Atuk (grandfather) and my Nenek (grandmother).”

Kenduri Series of rugs with Journey East

“I wanted the stories of my Atuk and Nenek to be kept alive through my art so I made a series of 3 designs that reflect this unique familial narrative. 2 of the rugs were named after my grandparents. My Nenek was delighted when I showed her the finished product and was so proud that it was stamped with her name. I wished my Atuk was alive to see this too.”