Niceaunties is the Singaporean artist, and creator behind Auntieverse, an NFT collection in honor of the women who play influential non-maternal roles within society and families.

These women, known lovingly across many cultures as “aunties," are known for offering great advice to younger generations. Yet, the title of “auntie,” in many cultures, may also sometimes come with unwanted critiques or negative feedback ranging from a person’s career choices to their marital status or decisions on parenthood.

Auntie culture holds a significant place in East Asia, where older women are often seen as both nurturing and critical figures within society.

However, in the 1,000-item NFT collection minted in January 2024, Niceaunties reverses any pre-conceived notions you might have about the women who nurture us, and instead depicts aunties as whimsical, otherworldly, and downright hilarious. The aunties’ imagined worlds are absurd and all-encompassing, as only a spa treatment made of sushi rolls could be.

Niceaunties pulls from her own upbringing as creative inspiration

Niceaunties is a partially anonymous creator. We don’t know her full name, but she did take the TED Talk stage in Vancouver to share that the inspiration for the collection was part of her own upbringing in Singapore. Several inspiring women raised Niceaunties, including her mom, grandmother, great-grandmother, and 11 aunties of her own.

While working as an architect, Niceaunties came across AI technology in 2022. She first discovered Midjourney, one of the popular text-to-image AI programs. Other artists who use AI text-to-image include artists like ClownVamp and Claire Silver. Niceaunties was instantly compelled to craft images, then videos that shed light on the powerful women she was raised by and celebrated “auntie culture” as a whole. Her work often explores the theme of freedom, contrasting traditional societal expectations with the liberation and self-expression of older women.

As the bio on her website shares: 

“[Niceauntie’s] life experiences and architectural training inform the structure and conceptual basis of her pieces, while her focus on the nuanced behaviours of ‘aunties’ illuminates the culture prevalent in Asian communities. Influenced by surrealism, fantasy, and kawaii culture, Niceaunties’ art champions empowerment and self-expression.”

It's clear her whimsical and playful approach brings a sense of fun to Niceaunties' art, which invites viewers to enjoy the imaginative and humorous depictions of the women depicted in her scenes.

Redefining auntie culture

Niceaunties’ art project is a wild reimagining of auntie culture, transforming it into an unforgettable symbol of self-expression. Through the use of AI, the artist has crafted a surreal world where aunties can exist without the constraints of societal judgment. They can simply be — quirks, talents, dreams, and all.

In Singapore, where Niceaunties is based, auntie culture has been called an "intangible cultural heritage," one that's often as stereotyped as much as it is celebrated. However, Niceaunties offers a fresh, playful, and thought-provoking perspective. Her art project explores the intersection of AI art and auntie culture, which delivers us a new narrative uplifting the individuality of aunties. She challenges societal norms and expectations, presenting aunties as multifaceted individuals with rich inner lives and boundless creativity.

The power of AI art

As today’s artists are discovering, AI art has brought new ways to create and explore visual storytelling, and Niceaunties uses these tools to their fullest potential. With programs like Midjourney, she experiments with styles, colors, and textures to produce artwork that feels both imaginative and personal. Her use of AI adds a futuristic edge to her designs while keeping a playful nod to nostalgia.

For Niceaunties, AI provides a practical way to bring her creative ideas to life. It allows her to quickly test concepts and refine her visuals, making her work more dynamic and accessible.

Niceaunties NFT career pairs well with her architecture career

It should come as no surprise that the NFT artist who designed an entire fictional universe just for aunties has a background in architecture. Niceaunties has a 20-year career as an architecture designer. Since becoming known as an NFT artist in 2023, she has balanced her day job and her artwork.

Her creative process is driven by the rapid evolution of ideas, which are refined and enhanced through the use of AI technology.

She used her skillset as a visual artist to bring to life the 1,000-NFT collection, which she divided into ten chapters. The chapters include Authenticity, Spa Menu, Factory, Auntieque, Auntiesociall, Fashion, Tesla, Ikea, Moma, and Nasa. While each sounds like familiar words, places or household brand names, they are all actually whimsical acronyms. A naming system that Niceaunties says she pulled straight from Singapore’s love of acronyms. For instance, “Tesla” stands for “Tofu-Engineered Sushi Luxury Autos.” The NFTs in this chapter show nice aunties playfully driving sushi cars and working in a Tesla-like factory with hairnets on.

In one of the earlier collection chapters, Chapter 2: Spa Menu, Niceaunties explores “themes revolving around beauty, skin, and youth.” The NFTs in this collection juxtapose the aunties’ smiles by depicting them undergoing taxing beauty treatments.

The chapter’s NFT description states:

“Tiny construction workers and machines are also depicted busily at work on their visages. These images symbolise the discomfort and effort women endure to conform to societal standards of youth and beauty.”

Niceaunties’ AI-generated artwork spotlight women in imagined worlds that flip the concept of beauty, belonging, and aging on its head. In doing so, Niceaunties’ “Auntiverse” showcases the influential women in all our lives under a brighter spotlight.

Impact and significance

An auntie doesn’t have to be someone’s actual aunt. She is a woman (often an older woman) who plays an influential role both in society and within her family.

Niceaunties’ art project challenges how we view auntie culture and shows what’s possible with AI-generated art. Her work has gained attention in spaces like the HOFA “Pioneers of AI Art” Exhibition in London and earned praise from art critics and collectors for its creativity and social commentary.

But the impact goes beyond exhibitions: By reimagining and celebrating the roles of aunties, Singaporean artist Niceaunties gives these women a space to feel seen and valued. The art highlights their individuality, humor, and wisdom, encouraging a deeper appreciation for the contributions of older women in society. 

Through her work, she sparks conversations about representation and inclusivity, reframing how we view these influential figures in our lives.