What To Check Out At Illustration Arts Fest 2025
Singapore's biggest indie illustration festival is back, and we've got the scoop on what you won't want to miss from the market.
Mark your calendars: the city’s coolest indie illustration festival, Illustration Arts Festival (IAF), is coming back for its sixth edition from July 4 to 6 at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, right next door to Singapore Art Museum.
Held by the Organisation of Illustrators Council (OIC) in conjunction with 32CM, a local initiative to connect a community of artists, the IAF is bringing some of the best illustrators the region has to offer right here in our backyard. What sets them apart? Unlike your typical superhero, manga, and anime-focused festivals, IAF celebrates creativity beyond the mainstream, with previous editions drawing crowds in the thousands.
Independent, community-driven, and self-funded, IAF is created by illustrators, for illustrators in Singapore and beyond. With over 120 artists hailing from Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and of course, Singapore, you’ll get the chance to explore new artistic worlds filled with whimsical characters and colourful dreamscapes, all “100% human made”, as per this year’s theme.
Where to find it: ArtSpace @ Helutrans, 39 Keppel Road, #01-05, Tanjong Pagar Distripark.
From tattoos to risograph printing, you're sure to find something fun to do at this year's Illustration Arts Festival.
What to expect: For the crafty and curious, there’ll be on-the-spot tattooing sessions, fun activities like risograph workshops by the popular studio Knuckles & Notch, live drawing sessions, hands-on demonstrations, workshops, artist talks and more. Need a break from all the fun? Satiate your cravings with some sweet treats from Creamier Ice Cream Cakes & Coffee, or swing back a Heineken beer to keep the good vibes flowing.
Keep an eye out for this year’s exclusive merch, including lucky gachapons featuring one-of-a-kind hand-drawn artwork by guest artists, official IAF 2025 tote bags in two eye-catching colourways, and the launch of SUPERWORM, the latest book by published artist and writer Pixin Weng and Epigram Books, the local creatives' champion publisher.
Wondering if your favourite illustrators made the lineup? Keep scrolling for a sneak peek of the art coming your way.
Ardhira Putra
Nostalgia meets a hyper-detailed, surrealist utopia dipped in ultra-saturated colours; that's how we would describe Indonesian motion designer and illustrator Ardhira Putra's works. His prints flew off the shelves at last year's IAF, so be sure to keep an eye out for his booth this time so you don't miss out.
SADSHRIMPS
If you're in need of some positive affirmations wrapped up in pastel palettes and bubbly characters, SADSHRIMPS has your back. The local lifestyle brand carries everyday clothing infused with a pop of colour and a comforting slogan, cute stationery like stickers and more, guaranteed to inject a little more joy in your life.
Yukihiro Tada
Missed out on your summer vacation to Japan? Illustrator, comic artist and character designer Yukihiro Tada is bringing a slice of Japanese culture to IAF. Tada transforms everyday street scenes, slow beach days and grocery runs into new realms of wonder and adventure, featuring his bright-eyed characters as your personal tour guide around the city. If you're a Pokémon fanatic, you might want to check out his recent series of trading card designs, including his illustrations of Otamaro (Tympole), Gamagaru (Palpitoad), and Gamageroge (Seismitoad) for the Scarlet & Violet Expansion Pack Black Bolt.
Martcellia Liunic
Youth and a sense of play are threaded into Jakarta-based artist Martcellia Liunic's art. All about honouring her inner child, she blends colour with the comfort of childhood and imagines abstract shapes into larger-than-life characters and animals. From embroidered shirts to bags with funky prints, her art label Liunic on Things is perfect for those looking to infuse more personality into their wardrobe. For this year's festival, she'll be giving a talk from 3pm to 4pm on July 5, Saturday, sharing how she overcame obstacles on her journey of becoming one of the most popular artists from Jakarta.
QuirkyQing
Yiqing Gan, also known as QuirkyQing, is an illustrator from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Celebrating the quirky through her characters like Bonnie the Bunny, Lenny the Lemon and Gigi the Tooth, Gan also designs trinkets, pouches, everyday items like cute socks and adorable lanyards, and stationery that will make you go "awww". She's made it her simple mission in life to making a living from drawing what she likes, and for those curious to follow her path, she'll be sharing some words of wisdom on how to be bold and pursue your wildest dreams on the last day of the festival from 12pm to 1pm on July 6, Sunday.
Tororo.aoi
Asher Yeo's intricate illustrations are, in one word, otherworldly. With a focus on human anatomy, her art transforms the familiar into a new site of creation and a playground for surrealist interpretation, featuring suspended skulls, floating eyeballs, and exposed ribcages. Inspired by mythology, the Singapore-based illustrator and tattoo artist brings these heavenly realms and divine figures to life with her detailed line work, available as prints at this year's IAF.