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NAME MAGAZINE tMheeeAt rtist ARTIST FEATURE Get to know our featured artist! only Becoming gene Gene Learn more about Gene, the Unlock our rising designer artist’s backstory on becoming who she is now!



Nwhat’s inaaIs an artist magazine especially dedicated to allowing fresh faces in the creative industry to speak on what it means to become one, essentially, making a “name” for one’s self. mE 3

Table of Contents About NAME ................................................ p. 3 Table of Contents ......................................... p. 4 Meet Olyn .................................................... p. 7 Roots and Branches ..................................... p. 10 Becoming Only Gene ................................... p. 11 Portfolio ...................................................... p. 3 Interview with Gene ..................................... p. 13 Get in Touch! ............................................... p. 19 4



OnlyGene

Meet Human comes before being an artist! See who Only Gene is as the person she’s always been, Olyn. Olyn Full Name Olyn Gene Esteban Age (According to her, old enough to go through her midlife crisis!) Occupation Junior Graphic Designer based in Singapore Artist Name OnlyGene (A play-by-play respelling of her name!) Hobbies Eating and sleeping Likes Coffee and milktea, those much needed serotonin boosts! Click here for her socials! 7



RootsEducation & Branches Gene took up STEM in Senior High School hailing from a family from the medical field. She made waves when she decided to take Multimedia Arts, and though her choice was almost spontaneous, she was an excellent student in Southville International School and Colleges, graduating with the highest score in Batch 2022’s validating exam. Experience Gene is currently a graphic designer based in Singapore. 9

The One & Only



Interview with OnlyGene We were blessed with a chance to talk to the artist herself! Get a glimpse of who Gene is in her artistry and beyond. What is your current Can I ask how were you able occupation? What do you do to find a career in Singapore? in the position? I don’t know if you guys know Currently, I’m working as but I have an Instagram account a graphic designer, freshly for my works, my projects. hired after graduating since Before I started working at I graduated last August 2022 my company right now, I and then November, I got usually found work through hired so it was a fast transition. offering it to my clients, usually I worked right away. But it was internationally or abroad my own choice! because there’s a bigger market there for freelancers. What are your hobbies now For my current job right now, I that you’re working? tried searching on job sites like LinkedIn… this company asked Actually, now that I’m working, me for an interview and I said most of my hobbies before have yes. I lost some hope because changed; now, I really like just there were other applicants, sleeping (laughs). Sleeping, but then, the next day, they eating, watching movies in replied that I got hired. It really the cinemas because I feel is like rolling the dice; you won’t like after I work, I get the most know [what will happen] and not everything will be for you comfort just resting my spirit. but like, it’s right here, might as well take it. For now, you 12 just try and see if it’ll suit you.

like this design would suit this project because this is what they need. Clients also change their minds a lot. [They’ll say] they want it a certain way, and when it’s done and submitted, they’ll suggest something, and the suggestion is literally changing the entire concept. What do you think is your biggest achievement there so far now that you’re in the workplace? Before, when I was still studying, I was a fairly average student;I wasn’t failing here and there, but it wasn’t like I was part of the Dean’s List ever since I started college either. It’s not easy because our grades What’s it like working now are not based on memorization compared to being a student? or how we do on exams; it’s based First of all, culture shock. It’s so on our projects and in art, design– fast paced. When you’re a student, some people would appreciate you only try to mind your deadlines it, and some would just not. I was for these subjects and you just really belittling myself among try to please yourself and your my colleagues because they’re own expectations with what you amazing [at what they do]. So the want to design. But when it comes biggest achievement I have right to working, it doesn’t work that now is being able to overcome that way: even though you want to past self, like when I look back, wow, design something that will please I was able to overcome everything yourself because you know that and now I’m actually pursuing that this is your aesthetic, your style, path I chose before. For others you can’t because you’re trying to it’s a very small thing but for me it offer projects to the clients, find matters so much because before I’d solutions. The difference is really in blame myself like ‘your choices are– how you don’t just design for your ’ (clicks tongue) and now it’s like, you own satisfaction, but you need to want to give a pat to yourself and offer solutions. say congratulations, you did well. 13



When did you decide to become And then, it was time for college an artist? entrance examinations. I took the entrance exam by myself in I think my professors and my different schools, and [decided] classmates know this, I’m pretty between different courses that sure, and I’d mention it because I somewhat align to what I might didn’t want them to expect that I want to do. I passed [the tests] was already this artist. You know but had to make up my mind, so I how in introductions on our first started searching up Multimedia days [of school] when the teachers Arts and the industry, and since want to get to know us and our I had friends who are in the field classmates introduce themselves… of MMA, my interest in the course they’d share their backgrounds as grew. My family was very against artists like how they’d join these art it, so I tried to establish myself and competitions and just, what am I prove myself to them during those doing here? So I introduce myself years already. Now, since they see as who I really am, because I grew some results now, they’re okay with up in a family where everyone it. Probably. Not like I can go back was pursuing something medical- to school (laughs). related: my sister is a surgeon, my brother is a doctor, my mom was When did you decide to become also a nurse, and my other sister an artist? took up dentistry, so practically everyone, right? So there was this My inspiration would always be peer pressure like ‘you are going the society. I’m very vocal about to become a doctor’. So it wasn’t my stand in political issues and I a choice I set for myself, but I set think it’s a very important thing. it for myself because my family Everyone needs to be encouraged wanted me to pursue medicine. that we need to do something. From elementary to high school, I So in my projects, I always try to was pursuing something that was find inspiration in those political in preparation for me to become a issues, because art is a strong doctor; I graduated from a science instrument, for our own voice, for high school, and in senior high the oppressed. school, I took STEM. 15



And it’s a good way to show people I want to explore what I can do, and that art is not just about painting that’s how I can improve myself. I or how good you are at it; if your recommend! art doesn’t have a meaning, that’s where it varies for me. I’m not the Do you have any routines or most technically skilled or anything, rituals of your own when you no, but at the very least, I want my create something? art to have a purpose, and that purpose is to be the voice for the What I do is I eat! I really love oppressed in this society. eating. If I’m burnt out or before I start a project, I don’t try to restrict Any recent projects you’d like to myself, because everytime I eat share? while I’m designing, it makes me feel more energetic. There’s no Most of my projects are clint- fixed process when I’m designing. based. Our company is a design Before, I always tried to say that and manufacturing company, and this was my process, I’ll brainstorm we mainly focus on institutions like first then I’ll ask others about their universities, so what we do include impressions of my project and wall murals or stickers for schools, this and that, then I was like, uh, and it makes for educational naur (laughs). It’s not like I follow design aesthetics. If we’re talking through with it! Let’s be real, about freelance work, the last I Olyn. So my process is just really did was for a sneaker convention be kind to yourself whenever you in Australia. It’s something that’s make something. Don’t pressure different from my taste; before I yourself because,well, it’s yourself. actually accepted it, I contemplated Of course you’ll get pressured it because [Sneakerhead], their by people around you, family, artist direction is more different, friends, professors, right? School, so it can’t be too cutesy. But at deadlines, they’re all there. Then the same time, I always want to you’ll pressure yourself too? When challenge myself. you try to create something, learn how to breathe. 17

If you can’t finish a certain thing, It doesn’t matter if your art couldn’t like for example, you have a project, be as great as what society thinks the deadline is next week, and you about artists but if you know that want to finish it already. But then what you do has value to you and you’ll notice that you couldn’t do could impact someone, then for anything, like when you’re creating me, that’s what art is. Even though something, somehow, it feels like other people say it’s not a profitable nothing. That’s the time when I job, don’t let yourself dwell on try to distance myself from it and those comments. What matters is that helps a lot. I slow down and you’re trying to pursue something try not to force myself to do things that you know is worth it, that you that would affect the quality of my know will impact your life as long work. And, I swear, treat yourself. as you’re happy with what you’re If you’re thinking if you deserve it, doing. Good luck, wishing you all yes, you deserve it! As an artist, the best, and I hope there’ll be or as a normal human being in more of you guys, artists who’ll be general, you really need something a voice for others, for the country, to inspire what you’re doing, so and an inspiration too. If you can get a bit of a serotonin boost from purchasing online, some milktea, iced coffee, then go for it! Any tips for the budding creative? For aspiring artists, don’t try to compare yourself to others because everybody is different. It’s fine to find inspo from other artists and designers. It’s normal to like a design and try to recreate it, but do not be a second version of the artist. Try to find yourself, your purpose, and find meaning in what you do. 18

“When you try to create something, learn how to breathe.”

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