SINGAPORE – On April 1, actress-singer Rui En deleted all the posts on her Instagram account, which has 106,000 followers.

About an hour later, a single post appeared on her profile – a pixelated reel with the caption “1.4.24 2100”.

Netizens were quick to express their dismay. “Empty? So many beautiful pictures are gone... My weak heart can’t stand this shock,” wrote one follower. “Posts are all gone… not an April Fool’s joke, right?” commented another.

The Singaporean artiste, 43, subsequently shared a second video reel on her Instagram account, a post by local photography studio Assemblyclan. In the video, she declared the “new Rui En is one who has been through the fire”.

Assemblyclan wrote in the post: “Get ready for a reimagined Rui En – we’re diving head first into the world of fashion, beauty and edgy visuals.”

The actress told The New Paper on April 1 that she has partnered Assemblyclan photographer and creative director Walter Tan on a project she dubbed The (RE)naissance.

They aim to use creative visuals and light-hearted content to inspire and provoke conversations around mental health, leveraging the actress-singer’s Instagram account as a platform.

Rui En said: “Walter is a younger guy who uses TikTok and that kind of thing. He’s convinced me to step out of my comfort zone and do some short reels to entertain my audience.”

Mr Tan, who was behind the social media content of local actor Desmond Tan, said he is excited to showcase Rui En’s “edgy side” using a variety of content formats, from fashion photography to video clips.

The Oppa, Saranghae! (2023) star said that the inspiration for (RE)naissance came from a deeply personal place.