My Weekend

Alec Monopoly with a piano he painted at Raven in Chijmes.
Alec Monopoly with a piano he painted at Raven in Chijmes. PHOTO: JOY FANG

Alec Monopoly's artworks hang in the homes of music superstars such as Justin Bieber, Avicii and Miley Cyrus. But the artist, who keeps his real name a secret, likes to keep a low profile and uses a pseudonym taken from his famous depictions of Rich Uncle Pennybags, the face of the Monopoly board game.

The 29-year-old American, who got into graffiti at age 12, began doing street art seriously at 20 and made a name for himself with his bold and vibrant works depicting pop-culture icons such as cartoon character Richie Rich, actor Jack Nicholson and late singer Michael Jackson, among others. His artworks - which have been sold to celebrities such as Adrien Brody, David Blaine and Seth Rogen - cost US$25,000 (S$34,400) to US$50,000 each.

The artist was in town last week to work on two installations in Chijmes, at restaurant-bar Raven and nightclub Rakes, both of which he and two of his clients own.

Alec - who is single and lives in a four-bedroom house in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, with his pit bull terrier - plans to visit Singapore three to four times a year to help develop and promote street art in Asia.

How do you spend your weekends?

When I'm in Singapore, I hang out with some of my friends in Rakes and Raven and see people interact with my artwork while I eat dinner. That's where I get the enjoyment out of art - bringing smiles to people's faces and seeing their positive reactions.

Back home in Beverly Hills, I like to cruise in my Rolls-Royce convertible and check on my graffiti murals to see if they need touching up. After that, I go for a nice lunch and usually take a long nap, wake up for dinner and then hit some clubs. The downtime is like a reset after working hard at the studio.

Who do you spend your weekends with?

If I'm at home, I hang out with my dog Bruiser a lot, chilling at the house and working at the studio. But if I'm out and about, I like surrounding myself with my close friends and beautiful girls.

What's something you never leave home without?

I always bring my top hat and bandana. I also make sure to have some cans of spray paint in the car at all times - black, red and white, the colours of the Monopoly guy, so I'm always ready to paint him .

If you could hang out for a weekend with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?

I'd love to hang out with Jack Nicholson because he's one of my favourite actors. I've painted him a lot in my work. He's such a funny guy and a legend - I would love to hear some of his experiences. I really enjoyed the role he played in The Shining (1980).

Do you really play Monopoly? What other hobbies do you have?

I'm always playing Monopoly, with whoever wants to challenge me. Other than that, I enjoy skateboarding and surfing. I've been riding motorcycles a lot recently too.

Complete this sentence: My perfect weekend would be...

Me in the studio because painting is my life.

Omar Amir

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 16, 2015, with the headline My weekend. Subscribe