Andy
First of all congratulations to our Artist Spotlight artist and friend Carlo Andrada Cacho aka Wetworks for his first Singapore solo show and BLAXK spotting HEAT! Yesterday was the VIP day: Media and Industry Partners for Shinigami – The Awakening exhibition by Wetworks x Clogtwo at BLAXK by ActionCity and we had the chance to have a sneak peek before the public opening! 2017, Wetworks x ClogTwo summoned the rise of the “Shinigami” we all know what followed, all hell broke loose and the cult grew in numbers. Fast forward to the present day Wetworks x ClogTwo ready for BLAXK!
As the space for pop culture, art and collectables, BLAXK
by ActionCity is proud to present Shinigami: The Awakening – an exhibition by two
immensely talented and popular locally-based toy designers, Wetworks and
Clogtwo!
Both artists are well-established names in their respective design fields. Wetworks’
oft sell-out art toy releases, inspired by comic characters and melded from his love
for pop culture, have reached collector status, while Clogtwo is synonymous with his
‘MechaSoul’ artistic style of blending mechanical components into iconic characters,
attracting high-profile collaborations with global brands including Apple, Adidas, G-
Shock and even Mercedes-Benz.
The Shinigami: The Awakening exhibition is a debut event celebrating the re-birth of
the artists’ previous collaboration, which spawned their iconic character, Shinigami.
Besides showcasing new large-scale Shinigami-inspired art paintings by both
Wetworks and Clogtwo, as well as previous iconic art toys produced by the artists,
the Shinigami: The Awakening – BLAXK Lotus, an art collectible figure decked in a
a whole new double-casted form which collectors have been anxiously waiting for
with bated breath, will be launched exclusively at the exhibition.
The Shinigami is as old as the moon.
This extra-dimensional being is covered in smoke of spirits and shoulders a heavy
scythe, feeding on every living soul of plants, animals and men.
The rise of Shinigami was summoned by Wetworks x ClogTwo in 2017 when it was
first released as a 6-inch tall vinyl figure (with a 5.5-inch tall scythe). Designed by
Clogtwo and co-produced by Wetworks through his sculpting and art direction, all
hell broke loose with this release and the cult of Shinigami followers grew in
numbers.
Fast forward to the present day, Wetworks x ClogTwo are back with the
reincarnation of this toy icon under Shinigami: The Awakening presented by BLAXK
by ActionCity. Inspired by samurai mythos, the Shinigami now boasts a new face-
mask decked with kabuki horns, armour plates and its quintessential scythe takes on
a meaner form.
As shared by Clogtwo on the birth of Shinigami: “The creation of Shinigami started
off as a sketch idea, exploring the love of Japanese culture and skeleton forms. The
concept of Shinigami was to introduce a character that crosses between tradition
and street lifestyle; an entity that bridges life and death. The Shinigami’s first
appearance was a full-fledge art piece fully spray-painted on the wall. Soon after,
Wetworks and myself collaborated, opening a portal to allow the Shinigami to walk
into our world, and a tangible 3-dimensional figure was brought to life from a flat 2-
dimensional vision.”
The world of Shinigami: The Awakening exhibition by BLAXK by ActionCity
Lose yourself in the dreamscape world of Shinigami within BLAXK, as the gallery
transforms into an ethereal environment with surreal elements of lotus and
mysticism, drawing inspiration and energy from this enigmatic deathly being.
The pop-art focus of this exhibition is also highlighted by four large-scale original art
paintings from Wetworks and Clogtwo each, of which two of them will form a
massive painting to pay tribute to their Shinigami creation.
Another key highlight of the exhibition will be the showcase of previous iconic art
toys released by Wetworks, curated by the artist himself. This archival collection
includes earlier versions of Shinigami as well as Wetworks’ iconic creations, such as
the AP-2K, Foxy and Deadstock – of which many are exclusive one-off pieces that
have yet to appear in the public’s eyes.
This exhibition will also unveil prototype figures of the upcoming Wetworks x
Clogtwo collaborations, including MechaSoul Shinigami and Clogged Caps, for fans
and collectors to lay eyes on for the very first time.
Introducing the Shinigami: The Awakening – BLAXK Lotus
As with all other previous sold-out releases of Shinigami by Wetworks x Clogtwo,
the exclusive re-designed Shinigami: The Awakening – BLAXK Lotus art figure
releasing during this exhibition will definitely generate hype from fans and
collectors.
The BLAXK-exclusive Shinigami: The Awakening – BLAXK Lotus features a double-
casting treatment used for the first time on this figure, which results in a crystal-like
Shinigami with an inlaid lotus within the figure’s head. The inlaid lotus glows in the
dark, giving this Shinigami: The Awakening – BLAXK Lotus figure an otherworldly
presence in a dim environment.
This eye-catching design highlights the spirit form of the Shinigami in its natural
state, imbued with the wisdom of the lotus, which is often associated with spiritual
awareness and attainment.
Produced in limited numbers due to the complicated production process, the
Shinigami: The Awakening – BLAXK Lotus will be only available for sale exclusively at
the exhibition at SGD399. Aside from that, other merchandise, including designer
Shinigami t-shirts by Wetworks x Clogtwo, will be available at the exhibition as well.
As summarised by Wetworks, “Shinigami: The Awakening represents the continued
evolution of Shinigami both as an art form as well as a character, showing us that the
world of Shinigami continues to intrigue us creators and collectors alike. We are glad
to find a partner in BLAXK by ActionCity who sees the same vision as we do. BLAXK
by ActionCity is able to produce and bring to life this new ethereal form of Shinigami
with the inlaid lotus, as well as create the dreamscape world within the gallery
space, thus truly able to help us bridge Shinigami: The Awakening from imagination
to reality.”
– Wetworks
WHEN: Wetworks x Clogtwo will be opened to the public from Saturday, 14 March 2022 to Sunday, 10 July 2022.
WHERE: BLAXK by ActionCity Funan, 107 North Bridge Road #01-03 Singapore, Singapore 179105
Check out our Live stream HERE for the opening of BLAXK!
About Wetworks
Wetworks is a Singapore-based artist and toy designer known for his edgy stylised
sculptures and kawaii characters. He is the creator of Foxy and Xin — two mischievous
characters inspired by his beloved sheltie.
His approach to creation and design is driven by his desire to continuously evolve his craft
through experimentation and true collaboration with fellow artists and designers. Staying
true to his roots when he first dabbled in toy design, Wetworks doesn’t stick to just one
style or material when bringing his characters to life.
Wetworks first started getting attention through his line of limited-run, original mixed media figures, and various fan art collections based on his favourite characters from
comic books, movies and TV.
Wetworks graduated with a degree in Fine Arts with a major in Industrial Design in the
The Philippines and found himself in the world of Mad Men after college. After spending almost
a decade and a half creating works for clients that would make even the legendary Don
Draper was jealous, Wetworks decided to pursue his passion for toy design, beginning with one-off customs and commissioned pieces. He hasn’t looked back since.
About Clogtwo
Clogtwo has been a graffiti practitioner and visual engineer since 2004. He explores
different mediums transcending from spray paints to digital media. His body of works focuses
on intricate and detailed mechanical elements and components, capturing them in a shell
from pop icon figures, developing an artistic style —”MechaSoul”.
The “MechaSoul” revolves around the ideology of the psychological bond between organism
and technology.
Clogtwo, with his partner Inkten, co-founded Ink and Clog Studio — the first visual art
duo collective and creative studio.
Over two decades, his obsession with creating has brought him to an international
level — Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom, Europe, United States of America, Mauritius,
Australia and the Southeast Asia region.
Clogtwo has also been commissioned by renowned brands such as Mercedes-Benz, G-Shock,
Google, Adidas, Microsoft, Apple, Footlocker, Converse, Aftershock PC Singapore,
MightyJaxx, Oracle Digital Prime and Singapore Tourism Board.
About BLAXK by ActionCity
BLAXK by ActionCity (BLAXK) is a space for all things pop culture, design and art! Set up by
ActionCity in September 2021, BLAXK marks the 21st anniversary and growth milestone of
the brand as the industry thought-leader spearheading the convergence of pop culture, art
and collectables.
Beyond curating pop art collections through partnerships with world-class artists & brands,
BLAXK inspires meaningful and deep connections between all who share a common love for
pop art and collectables by serving as a creative and interactive hub, celebrating the vibrant
growth of pop culture and its community.
Be sure to check out our Artist Spotlight Article on Wetworks HERE and you can contact him Via Facebook HERE and give him a follow on his Instagram.
Find Clogtwo amazing art at http://www.clogtwo.com/ Email [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/Mrclogtwo
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