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Igniting Musical Dreams: Singapore Chinese Music Competition 2024
NAFA’s Chinese Instrumental Studies students did the school proud with their success at the third edition of the Singapore Chinese Music Competition, organised by Singapore Chinese Orchestra.
Out of 409 participants, the NAFA team not only clinched the Grand Prize in the Grand category, but also achieved outstanding results in the Ensemble B, Pipa Senior, Guzheng Senior, Yangqin Senior, Erhu Senior, Suona Senior and Guzheng Intermediate categories.
SILA Student Design Awards 2024
Two pairs of NAFA’s Diploma in Design (Landscape and Architecture) students won the COEN Design Award (Gold) and ONG & ONG Award for Social Impact Through Design (Tertiary) at the SILA Student Design Awards 2024.
Do Manh Hung and Puan Nasya Airin’s “Nature Odyssey” impressed the judges with its effective use of graphics to communicate the project’s response to the surrounding natural context. Meanwhile, Panthita Jittakul and Timothy Lee Wei Liang’s submission, “Blossom Beyond” was recognised for its strong effort in connecting each design strategy with the shift in societal perceptions of people with disabilities.
The Crowbar Awards 2024
The creativity and design capabilities of students from NAFA’s School of Design & Media were recognised at The Crowbar Awards 2024, the region's leading design and advertising awards for emerging talent. Chang Kai-Ju from Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Design Practice clinched Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards across the Design, Branding, Communication and Digital/Innovation categories. She also received the Gold Award, Best of Category for Digital/Innovation.
The event also saw NAFA students bagging eight Bronze awards in the Good and Health & Wellness categories, bringing the total number of awards to five Gold and 22 Bronze across various categories.
Visa Financial Inclusion Designathon
Visa Financial Inclusion Designathon, organised by Visa, DesignSingapore Council and Singapore Design Week, was a four-day event which saw Team Orien, made up of four NAFA Year 2 Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Design Practice students—Michelle Angeline Sutandi, Maria Felicia, Van Rene Rasmei and Keane Tay—pitching their idea of leveraging familiar payment methods (physical cards) alongside hyper-targeted location tracking and other payment management features against nine other teams.
The team won. Two team members also secured internship opportunities with Visa in 2025.
The NAC-UAS Arts Scholarship
Receiving the prestigious NAC-UAS Arts Scholarship marked a significant milestone for both Zhuang Chuhang, a graduate of the Diploma in Theatre (Mandarin Drama), School of Theatre, and NAFA. The award recognised Zhuang’s dedication and artistic growth as well as affirmed the School of Theatre’s commitment to nurturing outstanding talents in contemporary Chinese theatre.
This achievement also underscored the impact of theatre education in shaping the next generation of theatre practitioners, and highlighted the school’s role in fostering excellence in the evolving arts landscape.
2024 Cultural Medallion
Siew Hock Meng, a celebrated second-generation Nanyang artist, was awarded the 2024 Cultural Medallion in recognition of his exceptional contributions to Singapore's arts scene. Known for his mastery in pastel compositions, oil portraits, and allegorical works, Siew’s artistic journey began at NAFA in 1960.
He received numerous accolades over the past 60 years, including the National Day Medal for Fine Arts (1977) and the Visual Arts Creation Award from the NAFA Alumni Association (1981, 1984). Notably, his painting Noon Rest (1986) displayed at the Feminissima art and fashion exhibition in Paris in 1987 earned international acclaim, alongside works by icons like Andy Warhol and Salvador Dalí. His other celebrated works include The Dawn of an Era (2000), Life Cycle (1999), and Bathing in the Holy River (1999).
Beyond his artistic practice, Siew also served as a committee member on the Singapore Watercolour Society and the Equator Art Society.
2024 UOB Painting of the Year
NAFA alumni, Yong Wee Loon, Tan Chin Boon and Chan Mi Ki, were recognised at the 2024 UOB Painting of the Year. Yong’s “A Sip Through Time” clinched the 2024 UOB Painting of the Year, Singapore award, and the top honour, 2024 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year. As part of his achievements, Yong will participate in the upcoming UOB-NAFA, UAS artist residency, which was launched in 2023 to provide Southeast Asian artists with opportunities for creative growth, global exposure, and cultural exchange, at the Cité internationale des arts in Paris.
Meanwhile, Tan’s “An Immortal Realm” and Chan’s “Transit of Hope” were awarded Gold and Bronze Awards respectively at the Singapore Established Artist and Emerging Artist categories.
Photo Credit: UOB
Photo Credit: UOB
Photo Credit: UOB
Photo Credit: UOB
Photo Credit: UOB
Young Designer Award 2024
A social responsibility initiative initiated in 2015 with the support of the Design Singapore Council. The Young Designer Award, organised by Design Intervention, aims to raise industry standards and encourage design students to explore the sub-speciality of residential design. Four students from the Diploma in Design (Interior and Exhibition) and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Design Practice were among the top 10 finalists, with Vanessa Meera Wijay as the Grand Prize winner.
