Clean Girl Nails Are Out, Grotesque Nails Are In

Meet the antithesis of the “clean-girl” aesthetic and Hailey Bieber’s minimalist glazed-donut manicures: grotesque nails. Trigger warning for those who are squeamish – this unapologetic style of nail art is typically characterised by abject themes of decay and rot, featuring arthropods, organic forms, and human-like matter such as teeth, hair, and blood.

Leading this macabre medium in Singapore are artists like Melanny (@meltedmanicures), Jia Hui (@zaddybigclaws) and Hayati (@yato.nails). For these creatives, the grotesque is more than just a fleeting trend; it is a quiet rebellion against the sanitised norm.

But what exactly compels someone to look at rotting mould, a bloody scab, or a dead insect, and think: I want this on my nails?

According to Jia Hui, this morbid attraction lies in the liberation from conventional societal standards. She notes that her main clientele are creatives or individuals who identify with alternative subcultures. “These are people who don’t necessarily see themselves reflected in the conventional Singaporean blueprint of success, beauty, or self-expression. As a result, they’re naturally attracted to visuals that challenge norms and stand apart from the clean, elegant aesthetic that dominates mainstream beauty trends.”

For artist Hayati, the appeal is more rooted in the psychological dissonance between attraction and repulsion. She observes that the grotesque exists in a “seductive space between beauty and discomfort… challeng[ing] the conventional ideas of perfection through distortion, surrealism, and emotional intensity.”

In a society that places perfection and uniformity on a pedestal, the grotesque feels “strangely honest,” Hayati says. “It is expressive, subversive, and deeply human…The body [is transformed into] a sculptural canvas, where sharp forms, uncanny textures, and exaggerated details become less about decoration and more about identity, rebellion, and visual storytelling.”

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The foundation of the art style lies in experimentation and innovation. Nail shapes vary wildly – from sculpted cat claws and extreme stiletto lengths to mismatched combinations of entirely different shapes within a single set. “Every client walks out the studio with something different and uniquely curated for them and our experience together,” artist Melanny comments, “There’s so many variations of nails, I think it’s impossible for me to say which can ever be common.”

To achieve these highly individualised looks, Melanny pushes boundaries by finding inspiration in places most people typically cringe at. “Inspiration is really everywhere you go… In the dirtiest drains with mould infestation, I’m able to observe such layers and textures, and I’ll be fascinated,” she admits. “People may think I’m crazy for finding such ‘disgusting’ things intriguing but I find it beautiful.”

For example, her long-lasting fascination with insects physically manifests through her work, most notably in her signature method of encapsulating real insects in nail gel – just like prehistoric bugs trapped in amber. “Strangely, for bugs, it has almost been like fate. Dead bugs randomly show up at my doorstep,” she remarks. “I’ve always loved bugs from a young age so having them coincidentally show up at such a time, I had this idea to just encapsulate their beauty in my own medium.”

Jia Hui’s studio similarly operates like a cabinet of curiosities. “For charms and embellishments, there’s a fair amount of improvisation involved. I usually work with whatever I have on hand that feels right for the concept. That could be piercings, metal ball chains, barrel beads, found objects, or random trinkets I’ve collected over time,” she says.

On the other hand, Hayati approaches the grotesque through a more gore-inspired lens. Having once dreamed of becoming a forensic scientist when she was younger, her fascination with gore and forensic imagery continues to influence her art today. “My work within grotesque nail art leans more towards the gore-inspired subcategory, so I don’t typically use actual organic materials like bugs, dirt or ash. Instead, I focus on creating the illusion of those textures and effects through nail products and sculpting techniques,” she explains. “Through layering, sculpting and colour manipulation, I’m able to create effects that resemble wounds, skin textures, decay or other grotesque elements.”

The growing demand for these grotesque designs proves that beneath Singapore’s immaculate, structured surface, there lies a burgeoning hunger for something raw, unapologetic, and real.

As one of the early pioneers of macabre nail design in Singapore, Melanny notes a profound evolution in public perception since her journey began. “When I first started, people didn’t really understand the art. But slowly I think they found beauty in the imperfections. And now we learn to appreciate that art doesn’t have to be perfect.”