She was born during the 1930s, worked on a rubber plantation, entered an arranged marriage, had eight children, stayed home to care for the family, and struggled with dementia in her later years.
Drawing on their years spent together, Niceaunties, her granddaughter, created an alternate reality populated by multicoloured sushi ingredients, quirky creatures (both familiar and alien), and interstellar kawaii spaces. In her Auntieverse, she enjoys spa sessions, attends cooking school, chills with her chums, and works part-time as a fashion model, among other pursuits.
Singaporean artist and architectural designer Niceaunties uses AI tools such as Midjourney to generate these fantastical images. The project began as a personal deep-dive into what it meant to be an auntie—“display patterns of unacceptable behaviour…They say the most outlandish things…”, as her website points out—and presenting such reflections through her art.
Auntieverse comprises 1,000 images categorised across 10 chapters, where she expounds on themes such as ageing, beauty, and freedom. Niceaunties’ work has been displayed in exhibitions worldwide, from Milan to Berlin to New York, and auctioned at Christie’s to benefit Giga Global and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Daily.xyz also offers them as NFTs.
With the ongoing controversy surrounding AI in art, Niceaunties prefers to look at the positive aspects for now. “I just love aunties,” she said during a Ted (Technology, Entertainment and Design) talk last year.
“I only see some of mine during Chinese New Year. Before family gatherings, I used to brace myself for the inquisition. They call you fat but present you with platters of delicious food, made with love and great skill.”
Favourite 2024 moment…
“The Weird and Wonderful Art of Niceaunties Ted talk will remain one of my favourite moments not just of 2024, but of my life. One of the most striking things to me was the concentration of people genuinely interested in seeing me succeed.
“As I overcame mental hurdles and gained the courage to present my work on a global stage, it was a moment of significant personal growth. I also had the chance to meet so many inspiring people and learnt a great deal from the experience.”
Showing Auntidote: Aioli Times, during “In The Ether – A Festival of Technology and Innovation” at ArtScience Museum…
“It was a meaningful experience to bring ideas from the screen to life, transforming them into tangible objects. The ArtScience Museum was incredibly generous and open-minded in facilitating this commission.
“People often quote the Chinese proverb that goes, ‘fallen leaves return to their roots’ (落叶归根). This was not only my first physical sculpture but also my first time exhibiting at home, in Singapore. It marked an important milestone in my journey.
“My mother and aunties found the installation interesting. My sister, cousins, nephews, and nieces also visited and enjoyed it. My family has never been particularly abundant with words, but their smiles said it all.”
Embracing change…
“Being a private person, it has always been difficult for me to show up on social media or in public. Particularly in an era of social media hate and AI concerns, it often felt unsafe to be seen. I used to feel more comfortable sharing my work behind my social media profile than sharing it with the world.
“Through Niceaunties, I attended several in-person art events and had my work featured in newspapers and magazines in 2024. During that time, some journalists had difficulty understanding how I reconciled my work with my identity. Gradually, and sometimes painfully, I worked through these difficulties.
“This project has been more than an exploration of auntie culture; it has been a journey of self-discovery. My initial view of aunties was slightly biased, but I grew to appreciate them. This shift also influenced my perspective on ageing and freedom. Learning to show up in the world unafraid is the truest form of freedom.”
On a series on Uncles…
“At the moment, no. My work on aunties stems from my upbringing among women and my formative years at a girls’ school. I feel comfortable working on a subject matter that is close to my heart and addresses issues I believe need rebalancing and rethinking in the world.”
In 2025…
“I’m excited to dive deeper into exploring aunties and other women-related issues. In 2024, I focused on beauty standards, freedom, and ageing. This year, I’d like to expand on those ideas by working with more data, engaging with the community, and utilising technology to enrich the conversation.”
See more of Niceaunties’ works here.
