Looking outside, one can be forgiven for getting a knot in one’s stomach when faced with the daily overload of climate catastrophes, the emergence of radicalism and hate, democratic erosion, misinformation, late-stage capitalism, and war. Shepard Fairy, whose first solo Southeast Asian exhibition, The Future is Unwritten, runs until October 15 at Opera Gallery Singapore, is steel in his conviction that art is a game-changer and pushes the promise of an optimistic future.

At the Opera Gallery, Shepard’s mixed media showcases paintings and original illustrations that prove to be very powerful. Even crazier due to Singapore’s draconian graffiti laws is that Shepard created his first mural in the region at the Tanjong Pagar Conservation Area. He’s also got an OBEY pop-up happening at Wisma Atria CHAMBER, which includes a Singapore-only commemorative T-shirt of the event.

In an interview with Hypebeast, Shepard said his show in Singapore was inspired by his favorite band. “The exhibition here at Opera is called The Future Is Unwritten, which is a quote by Joe Strummer from one of my favorite punk rock bands, The Clash. The idea that we’re all responsible for shaping the future and having an opportunity to push it in the direction we want is very important to my work.”

Get more information about Shepard Fairy’s The Future is Unwritten [until October 15] at Opera Gallery Singapore here.