Homegrown designer Afzal Imram on Milan Design Week and why he collects stickers while travelling

SINGAPORE — Fancy an interactive board game of sorts where you tell stories based on archeological drawings? This creation called Les Raconteurs by homegrown designer Afzal Imram is among the 18 works for The Alchemists, currently exhibiting at Singapore Art Museum as part of Art Week.

Inspired by the idea of transforming ordinary materials to something magical and precious, The Alchemists first debuted at Milan Design Week last April as a showcase of Singaporean designers. It was Afzal’s first exhibition after graduating from the National University of Singapore’s School of Industrial Design in 2014.

“The Milan Design Week is one of the biggest design events in the world, so being there when the world’s design community descended onto the city was both intimidating and inspiring,” he recalled. “The exhibition space (we had) in Milan in Le Triennale di Milano was also a really beautiful space.”

But Afzal, who is the co-founder of Proper People design studio, is more than pleased that the exhibition has made its way home. “I was fortunate enough to catch it in Milan, but now my friends and family can see it too. It is a fantastic opportunity for people to see what designers have been up to here in Singapore.”

Q: Could you tell us more about Les Racounteurs and how did the idea for it come about?

A: Les Raconteurs was actually something I developed while on my exchange semester in the design school ENSCI – Les Ateliers in Paris. It’s called Les Raconteurs, which means The Storytellers in French, because the intent of it was to get users to interact with yet-to-be deciphered archaeological drawings found in Burkina Faso, by telling stories through them. By participating in the effort to understand what has not yet been understood, it transforms the drawings from mere shapes into symbols.

I’ve not been to Burkina Faso but first heard about the drawings through an archeologist during my time in ENSCI-Les Ateliers. It made me want to work with the beautiful drawings, yet not administer my own interpretation of it.

Q: Besides immersing yourself in the design scene in Milan, what else did you enjoy about the city?

A: There were events happening all over the city so I got to explore a lot of different neighbourhoods in Milan like Tortona, Brera and Lambrate. What I loved about Milan was that there was a pizzeria at every corner and they were all good and pretty affordable. Also, all the espresso bars where people just stop for an espresso (only £1 or S$1.50) at the counter.

Q: Which city inspires you for design and what do you like about it?

A: Inspiration for me can come from almost anywhere I’m at, whether if it’s in the mountains in the north of India or in metropolises like New York and London. But I guess what inspires me most to carry on in the design industry is when I encounter cities where good design doesn’t just live in expensive boutiques, galleries or six-star hotels, but how it permeates the everyday experience. For example, walking around Stockholm, you’ll see beautifully composed items decorating window sills of ordinary apartments. In London, design is valued so much so that even their public transport, such as the double-decker buses are beautifully designed. These are just some of my naive observations, but these are the things that inspire me to keep on going. In the end, design is about affecting the world around you, shaping experiences and making life more manageable and enjoyable.

Q: How do you capture the inspirations in your travels?

A: I take free stickers from places I visit, as long as they look nice, and stick them on my laptop. Besides that, I take photographs. The stickers and photographs are more memory triggers than anything else, for things that I find beautiful or experiences that are remarkable.

Q: What are some of your essentials when you travel?

A: My travel must-haves are my iPhone for the camera mainly, the Pilot Fineliner which is my favourite pen and my Mosaic notebook designed by my studio!

Q: With more Singaporean design and designers being exhibited overseas, how can Singaporeans also better support them?

A: I think the Singapore design culture here is at the strongest it’s ever been. Local designers and makers have so many opportunities now to show and sell their work. I think the best way for Singaporeans to support Singaporean design and designers is to keep growing their expectations of us. I believe in benefit of being the least skilled and talented person in the room because then, I’m always striving to be better. It’s the same for the design scene—expect the best so designers might be more driven to push the boundaries and keep upping their game. Serene Lim

Singapore Design: The Alchemists will be at Singapore Art Museum intil Jan 31.