Introducing Sukki Singapora
Entertainer, Activist & Burlesque Artist, Sukki is best known for blending Art with a cause.
Mashable referred to her as “the kind of person who electrifies the internet”, Facebook chose her to represent “what International Women’s Day was all about”, and with fans including Cherie Blair, Bill Gates and Desmond Tutu, whom described her work as “wonderful,” her move to film and television starting with NETFLIX in the first ever global docu-series with an all Asian cast, “Singapore Social,” has been the perfect transition for the next phase of this creative multi-hyphenate. We look back at some of her achievements:
Known as Singapore’s first international burlesque artist, Sukki gained worldwide recognition by becoming the first woman to perform a full burlesque show in Singapore in January 2015 after four years of campaigning.
Sukki’s work as a role model for Asian women and men in the Arts saw her shortlisted for an Asian Women of Achievement Award, during which she was praised by both founder and chair, Pinky Lilani CBE DL and the BBC’s Reeta Chakrabarti. Her outstanding achievements lead to an Invitation to Buckingham Palace, the first burlesque artist to be invited for tea by the Royal Household – firmly securing her position as a trail-blazer.
By July 2015 Sukki had been inducted into the Burlesque Hall of Fame, for being a “Mover, Shaker & Innovator” in the world of burlesque. Her lavish, quirky and elaborate performances and costumes brought a modern twist to the theatrical Italian Art whilst combining elements of her Indian Singaporean heritage.
In 2016 Sukki was nominated and shortlisted for the United Nations Women’s HeForShe Awards, leading to further recognition, and a string of engagements for high profile clients and brands including the official Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix afterparties, London Fashion Week, DFS and Samsung.
By 2017 she had cemented her position as a leading figure in burlesque, and her focus grew towards humanitarian efforts, notably in her role as a Global Ambassador for The Sharan Project, a charity providing support for vulnerable women. She became known for passionately blending both her international shows and activism in a way which elevated burlesque into more than simply a performance art, but a symbol of freedom of expression and vehicle for women’s rights.
Her international reach and contribution to the arts was further commemorated that year after being supported by legendary music producer David Foster who described her as “so deserving” and “going all the way,” and at the end of 2017 Sukki accepted the Generation T Award for being one of the top 50 most influential people changing and shaping society in Singapore.
In 2018 she joined the Women of the Future Awards alumni to champion the next generation of young women making their mark in the business, professional, arts, media, and science and technology sectors. Later that year she went on to perform the first burlesque show in a Government building in Singapore at the National Museum of Singapore and her nod from Foster saw her become known as “Singapore’s First Burlesque Artist in Hollywood.”
In 2019 she was approached by NETFLIX, and in 2020 Sukki began the transition into a mainstream multi-hyphenated artist with her television debut, NETFLIX’s Singapore Social. The show was ground-breaking for being the first docu-series with an all-Asian cast set in Asia for global release.
Prior to the show premiering on Netflix, Sukki used the increased media attention, which included a billboard in Times Square New York, to highlight the burdens still affecting and limiting children today by travelling to India to visit a local school in Kerala and give talks to the children about nurturing their talent over cultural and gender stereotypes or pressures.
In 2021 Sukki’s growing audience caught the attention of India, and in June 2021 Rolling Stone India featured her in an article that described her as “an unstoppable young force that has left a powerful impact on the world.” Vogue India followed shortly after, writing she is “using her art form to foster a safe and empowering space for South Asian women.”
In 2022, Sukki announced she would be moving from burlesque to film and television, and in July of that year, the Burlesque Hall of Fame opened an exhibition in their Las Vegas museum celebrating her contribution to burlesque alongside fellow Asian burlesque artists, “Remodeling “Minority: Asians and Asian-Americans in Burlesque.”
Her journey in burlesque is complete, but the next chapter is just beginning.
Want to be a part of the new chapter? Follow Sukki as she makes the move to film and television here.