The series, which he started in 2018, is showcased at @thenextmostfamousartist on Instagram and the website. For Hafiiz, the concept first struck a chord during his time as a postgraduate student at Lasalle College of the Arts where he majored in Asian art histories. "My exposure to classical works made me curious about how they would look like in our modern world," he says. Intrigued by the possibilities of what new media has to offer, Hafiiz looks towards the digital sphere to present his works, where he is able to push the envelope of normal art conventions.

Since then, he has gone on to release three other collections in the same style, championing the themes of travel, the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent Black Lives Matter movement.

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Hafiiz's unique style results in a series of stark imagery, each accompanied with a dose of humour or sarcasm. For example, the classical model of British painter Frederic Leighton’s Flaming June is curled up at the back of a public bus, mimicking an all-too-familiar sight of the working class on a slow and sleepy Monday morning.

In another artwork, Saint Sebastian, known for his martyrdom in Christianity, is etched out and placed standing in the middle of the rain vortex at Jewel Changi Airport, suggesting that he was taking a casual shower in the iconic mall that both locals and tourists alike frequent. “The locations I select are often ones that many would find familiar and modern in our cultural context. After superimposing the classical figures in the photograph, viewers will be able to relate to the work better with their own experiences and memories,” Hafiiz adds, “by doing so, it also invites them to add to the narrative surrounding the featured landmark.”

A digital art director at an international advertising agency by day, Hafiiz operates under the moniker The Next Most Famous Artist. And if you're curious about his handle, don't confuse it with American conceptual artist Matty Mo, who goes by name The Most Famous Artist. His moniker is a response to the viral nature of today’s social media landscape, where he “wanted to create a persona that pokes fun at this drive for fame and success”.

When asked about the artists that he looks up to, Hafiiz highlighted House of Natural Fiber, a Yogyakarta-based new media art collective that utilises open source tools to erase the divide between technology and communities. Inspired by the possibilities of art in the digital realm, Hafiiz plans to continue working on incorporating more elements of animation into his works. “I will continue to make art that responds to the current times as there are plenty of issues in and around our society which will provide for interesting content to work with.”

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With the advancement of technology, we have witnessed a democratisation of creativity, and social media has made it easy for users to share, recontextualise, and create their own digital artworks—placing the power of narrative into the hands of the viewers.

—The Next Most Famous Artist