When multidisciplinary artist Yang Derong walks into a room, he turns heads. Fashion designer, costume designer, multidisciplinary artist – his identity is as layered as the intricate stories he tells through his art, one which comes through strongly at Singapore Art Week (SAW) with his latest project, DIGikat.

DIGikat draws inspiration from ikat weaving, a traditional craft that interlaces threads to form patterns. By reimagining ikat through the lens of sound waves, Yang captures the dynamic energy of diverse voices and cultures weaving together into a unified social fabric. The project’s heart lies in its duality: a LED projection animates the digital ikat patterns, while a woven jacquard fabric translates the visuals into a tactile form, in a way, merging the digital and the traditional to reflect how our modern, multicultural lives intertwine with heritage.

In the exhibition itself, the ikat ebbs and flows across a multitude a colours, provoking questions about where origins end and new cultures begin, about the multicultural nature of Singapore and how everything begins to run into each other where we truly are a ‘rojak’ of cultures. It’s a mesmerising image, looking like a spectrum of colourful waves, sound waves that represent the diversity of every person around us.

Having spent years abroad, Yang reflects on his return to Singapore and the shifts he has witnessed. “Coming home after so long away has given me a deeper, firsthand understanding of the changes here. My own background may not have prepared me for everything I’ve seen and heard. We all live blinkered lives to some extent, and now, my eyes have been opened to so much more,” he says. “It’s super inspiring. The art scene today compared to the past has changed – there are new concerns, new attributes, and different things people want to talk about.”

Adding a unique layer to DIGikat is a culinary collaboration with Michelin-starred restaurant Nouri former head chef Russell Nathan and his team from Bricolage. Hosted at the SATS Experiential Centre, the second floor transforms into a private kitchen where diners experience menus inspired by DIGikat. The pairing of art and food becomes a multisensory journey that ties together tradition, innovation, and community, and in a way, is inspired by Derong’s favourite foods, from hawker fare to his own mother’s nourishing, home-made soup. With that in mind, when one dines here, one creates a temporary but very real sense of community as we eat together, engaging in discourse and exchanging conversation, while considering the idea of fellowship, all over a delicious meal that is all about provoking interaction, such as a nasi ulam served with lacto-fermented sambal ‘tonnato’, confit yellowfin and free-range guinea fowl, celebrating local ingredients and togertherness.

Yang is no stranger to exploring food’s cultural significance. From his earlier “fake food” series to his musings on evolving local food traditions, he sees food as a lens through which to examine societal change. “Food is more than taste,” Yang says. “It represents tolerance, coexistence, and the coming together of cultures.”

Through interviews and collaborations, Yang has uncovered stories that highlight the fragility and richness of cultural heritage. From the erosion of Hakka cuisine to the commodification of food, his reflections serve as a poignant reminder of the delicate balance between progress and preservation. “In France, you’d talk to greengrocers who’d show you an avocado good for today or next week,” he recalls. “That mindfulness, that connection to the seasons, it’s something I miss. DIGikat captures that essence – of weaving traditions into our digital lives, of appreciating what came before while looking to the future.”

From its vibrant LED displays to its tactile jacquard translations, and from culinary artistry to cultural storytelling, Yang’s project is a reminder of the beauty in diversity. It’s a call to embrace tradition and innovation, to celebrate the threads that bind us all. “Nowadays, there are so many uncertainties, and the world is becoming more nationalistic,” he shares. “But to realize how lucky we are in Singapore – to live in a place where you can enjoy Muslim food, Indian food, and all the tolerance and coexistence of religions – it’s something special. Beyond what tastes good, the food represents the people and their stories, living together in harmony.”

DIGikat runs till 26th January 2025 at The Annex At Arts House. More information available here