The Auntieverse

In any given week, I might use the term ‘aunty’ for a hawker stall owner, a lady who chats with my kid in the train, a supermarket cashier, someone who I help at the bus stop, a neighbour, and many more. Though I once did get chastened, it is true, “I am not your aunty, ah!”; this was both rare and uncharacteristic.

The term ‘aunty’ or ‘auntie’ in most of Asia is very different from the term in many other parts of the world. Usually meant for older ladies, it can be used very loosely, with very little need to actually be related (being an aunt). Also not exclusive to the ladies, ‘uncle’ lies in pretty much the same bucket. Maybe most simply explained as, “Aunt/uncle?means?people in age like mother/father.”

While usually endearing or respectful or just plain familiar, it also can be a bit of a stereotype, maybe even slightly mocking- cliched abound around age, fashion sense, inquisitive behaviour, propensity to feed.

In all this, we have an artist’s take- part celebratory, part commentary, many parts surreal- the Auntieverse is a world of ladies of, shall we say, somewhat advanced years.

Artist Niceaunties creates across themes of ageing, beauty, personal freedom, and everyday life, aspiring to imagine “a different kind of life and unbridled freedom” for this generation of women.

In this alternative reality the “Niceaunties” provide a visual narrative where our adventuring aunties party uninhibited, have fun with a freedom of expression that is a positive representation of their collective joie de vivre.

There are lunar cooking classes, cows & cats, plastic trash cleanups, beach parties, Nasa (the Nice Aunties Sushi Academy), and a Tesla (Tofu-Engineered Sushi Luxury Auto). Its all a bit off and a bit curious, with both mundanity and oddity, wrapped in the bizarre.

My inspiration came from the Asian culture I grew up in and my family. My maternal grandmother had dementia and was bedridden for 20 years. Because of this, my mother made a resolution to stay active in her silver years. She regularly dances, practices qi-gong (similar to tai chi), and performs with her friends on stage at festivals. I realized that this is not the case for most aging women, as I have aunties who have held back from pursuing their dreams, perhaps restricted by self-imposed expectations.Through exploring this dichotomy of conflicting ways to deal with the loss of youth, I wanted to create a world where women feel free and empowered to be outrageous, joyful, have fun, and be free.

There certainly is a certain unbridled enthusiasm here, which adds an endearing touch to the ‘cute grandmas’ look. That, and an overwhelming love for sushi!

Scroll through more of the Auntieverse.

Hold that sushi roll.

Now, these are all created/generated with AI tools. This is largely controversial; art of this kind is often deemed ‘art’. There are very valid issues to debate around this kind of generative AI, most significantly the ethical aspect of how all these models are trained on the work of creative professionals and- almost always- with no express permission taken, nor compensation given. The most common defense usually revolves around the notion that these tools are enablers, not cannibals. There is much to be said and considered on this, and is best left for another post. Suffice to say for now that for me, generative AI is both promising/exciting, and awash with ethical greys.

Be that as it may, here, in the very specific way of AI being a creative collaborator, these tools are clearly enabling Niceaunties to share their vision of an Auntieverse (they call Midjourney an ”art partner rather than just a tool”).

· Niceaunties Interview · More on aunties: Singapore · India ·?China & India ·

[Readings from Carla Rojas · Hidayah Salamat · Tao Tao Holmes ·]

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