Turning bedroom doodles into dollars

These self-taught Gen Z Singapore illustrators put out full-fledged merchandise and characters with a following of their own

- Amanda Chai Style Correspondent

Illustrator Sarah Goh, who is behind the avocado character of @avocagOh, has been running her Instagram page and lifestyle business since 2019. Her merchandise (above) has been sold at art markets such as Public Garden PHOTOS: HESTER TAN, AVOCAGOH

(HESTER TAN AVOCAGOH)

Not many 25-year-olds spend their weekends on a crusade to take down copycats of their work.

In her spare time, artist Arissa Rashid has been reporting and removing Taobao listings producing knockoffs of her original artworks — specifically a sardine-shaped claw clip that went viral on her social media channels.

First launched in April, the product, packaged in a makeshift food tray with cling wrap, received six million views on Instagram and 2.5 million views on TikTok.

She started noticing imitations appearing on e-marketplaces Tao-bao and Shopee around May. After posting about the distressing news on Instagram, she was referred to an American copyright account that helps artists take down knockoffs from sites like Etsy and Amazon. Taobao recognised the US copyright too.

“I've been able to take down 100 Taobao listings,” says Ms Arissa, beaming. She has since got a Singapore design trademark approved by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore and submitted it to Shopee’s IP portal.

The web designer at a media company is better known by her online moniker @rissaartt, whose signature characters include a girl named Bonky and a burnt-out amphibian called Robert The Corporate Frog.

A regular at Public Garden who has participated in seven editions since she applied in 2023, the computer science alumna from the Singapore University of Technology and Design picked up animation and graphic design skills via online courses.