Singaporean architect-turned-artist Niceaunties uses artificial intelligence to build the Auntieverse, where older Asian women are living their best lives while challenging traditional views of “auntie-ness”
From smiling aunties soaking in a bowl of ramen to a ripped auntie modelling a fashionable outfit, welcome to the Auntieverse, where aunties are living their best lives.
This isn’t a real world, however, but an imaginary one created by Niceaunties. Using artificial intelligence image generators such as Midjourney and Dall-E, the artist creates static and animated artworks that explore the ideas of what it means to be an “auntie” and question the stereotypes linked to the word.
Commonly used to describe older women, the word ”auntie” has developed a negative connotation in certain societies. In Singapore, for instance, where Niceaunties is from, the word is often associated with stereotypes of older women sharing unsolicited feedback to others (“You’ve gained weight”) or asking tactless questions (“When do you plan to have kids?”).
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Auntlantis: Day In the Life Of (Illustration: Niceaunties)
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Niceaunties—who has been at the receiving end of such bluntness herself, having grown up with 11 aunties—is set on helping people better understand “auntie culture”. She hopes to reframe the narrative through art and humour, inspired by her own experiences and observations of her late grandmother, who sacrificed her life for her family before succumbing to dementia.
The artist shares more about her growing-up years, as well as her views on AI in art creation and why everyone has an inner auntie, with Gen.T’s Chong Seow Wei in the latest episode of the Crazy Smart Asia podcast.
Click the audio player below to listen to the full episode. Scroll down further for key excerpts from the conversation.
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