Control Chaos: Redefining the Visual Cultures of Asia

Celebrating twenty-five years of PHUNK, this book traces the ways in which the Singapore-based design collective has mixed urban street culture, art and design to create a unique body of work

Traditional Chinese folklore, Hong Kong wuxia pulp fiction, Japanese manga, American street culture and British new wave music — all come together in the universe of PHUNK. Since its founding in 1994, the Singapore-based contemporary art and design collective made up of Alvin Tan, Melvin Chee, Jackson Tan and William Chan has blended diverse cultures, broken down creative boundaries and surpassed the waves of globalization to create a visual signature of its own.

Control Chaos is a deep dive into this visual rock band, retracing their journey over the last twenty-five years to becoming one of 21st-century Asia’s leading creative studios.

About the Author:

Justin Zhuang is a writer and researcher with an interest in design, cities, culture, history and media. He has written several books about Singapore design, including INDEPENDENCE: The History of Graphic Design in Singapore Since the 1960s.