“Speakcryptic” is the moniker of Farizwan Fajari, an artist working and living on the sunny island of Singapore. He graduated from the Lasalle College of the Arts in 2007 with a Bachelors Degree in Fine Art, majoring in Painting. He has also taken part in numerous local exhibitions since 2005 and plays the electric bass for I Am David Sparkle.
OIC: Besides “Speakcryptic” do you have any other tag line or slogan? Why this moniker?
SC: I don’t really have any other tagline besides “Speak Cryptic”. The moniker actually came about after I had, well I’m not too sure what it was exactly but I would probably define it as an argument with this person I used to know in 2004. And he said that I am always speaking in cryptic and that I would always replace my words that could be potentially harmful, with other words that doesn’t really make much sense. And he was right. I was born with a really sharp tongue and I used to say the most darndest things. And when I grew older, I realize that I’m not really much of a nice person since I have this knack of saying really stupid things to people without any regard to how they feel. So in an attempt to better myself, I started shutting up, but that in itself didn’t solve the problem as I was struggling with my other self. So I started speaking in codes….like I would address certain people and situations with a language that no one understood but myself. And that helped because I’m able to say what I wanted to say without hurting anyone else. And that mentality carried itself to art school. I started signing off as Speak Cryptic on my paintings and drawings. And it made sense to use that moniker during my brief stunt as a street artist. However, I recently realize that speaking in a coded language is not a healthy thing and I am slowly trying to talk to people and let them know about my views on things with a little more tact. But I guess, I am just more socially awkward than anything else. Anyway, to make this long story short, the name “Speak Cryptic” kinda stuck and it’s what I used to sign off in both of my commercial and non-commercial works.
OIC: What keeps you going – you have been fairly consistent in your style?
SC: Fear keeps me going. I really want to make something out of myself and this fear of the possibility of turning into nothing, is my fuel. I love drawing but I seriously don’t think that I am born to be an artist or an illustrator so it’s safe to assume that my “style” came from my inability to draw. My line work was a product of my years of struggle with the pencil. There were many times when I wanted to give up because I would get so frustrated because it didn’t seemed that I could render anything at all. But I guess I loved it too much and I just kept going at it. I’m still very dissatisfied with the way I draw and am striving to do it better in the future.
OIC: Biggest lesson you have learned so far as a delineator?
SC: That patience is indeed a virtue. And that acrylic paint can’t dry under a minute. 
OIC: What do you think about illustrators or illustration in Singapore.
SC: We have such a great pool of talent here in Singapore so I really think it’s great. What makes it better is the fact that since we live in a country that’s super small, the artists here kinda knows everyone else. So for me personally, I think I’ve been personally blessed with knowing all of these great, talented people and it has provided me with a platform to learn from these guys so easily.
OIC: What is your illustration wet dream?
SC: I would love to be able to do some illustration work for a skateboard company or two. And maybe a CD sleeve design for my favorite bands. That would be AWESOME.
You can see more of Speakcryptic’s work here : http://www.speakcryptic.com/
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