Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), University of the Arts Singapore (UAS), celebrates 50 years of design education with the launch of We Made This Monster.
Featuring over 100 artworks and exhibits from students, alumni, and faculty, the exhibition reimagines design education as a living, evolving practice that confronts ambitions, contradictions, and responsibilities. We Made This Monster examines how creativity, innovation, and responsibility intersect within the evolving landscape of design education.
“We Made This Monster is not a simple celebration; it is a conversation about what design has built, and what it continues to shape,” said Sabrina Long, Dean, Faculty of Art & Design, NAFA. “As the School of Design & Media celebrates our 50th anniversary, we remain committed to nurturing designers to think out of the box, act responsibly, and create with courage and care.”
The exhibition showcases how design learning has evolved from mastering tools to inculcating creativity, empathy, and ethical awareness. Approximately 70% of the display structures were sourced within the school, with electrical cables and other installation materials repurposed from leftover material supplies from the audio-visual maintenance. Existing ladders were reimagined as tall trusses, reducing the need to fabricate new pedestals. From repurposed furniture to improvised artworks, the exhibit showcases value, care. and intent that highlight creativity, empathy, and ethical awareness.
Visitors are also invited to join a series of weekend programmes exploring how sustainability and design define taste, culture, and mindful eating; how youth collectives create subcultures and safe spaces; and how design guides the way we think and act, all as part of the 50th anniversary celebration.
Exhibition Details
Title: We Made This Monster
Date: 9 to 29 October 2025
Opening Hours: 12 pm to 7 pm (closed on Mondays and Public Holidays)
Venue: Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
The Ngee Ann Kongsi Galleries 1 & 2 & Lim Hak Tai Gallery
80 Bencoolen Street, Singapore 189655
Admission is free
Images can be downloaded here.
Annex 1 – Featured Works
About NAFA
Established in 1938, the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), a founding member of the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS), is Singapore’s pioneer and largest arts institution. Renowned for its unique identity and strength in Southeast Asian arts, NAFA’s Institute of Southeast Asian Arts (ISEAA) is a global leader in Southeast Asian art practice and research. NAFA has nurtured the greatest number of alumni conferred the nation’s highest accolades, with 14 Cultural Medallions and 15 Young Artist Award recipients. As the only arts institution offering a comprehensive range of educational pathways from early childhood to adulthood, NAFA inspires learning and growth through diverse programmes. These include tertiary education, lifelong learning courses at the Centre for Lifelong Education, junior arts classes in the School of Young Talents, and arts-enriched preschool education.
With a rich heritage dedicated to arts education, NAFA strives to live up to its mission of “inspiring learning and growth through the arts.”
For more information, visit www.nafa.edu.sg or follow us on @nafa_sg on Instagram.
For media queries, please contact:
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
Karen Chang
Head, Strategic Communications Office
Email: [email protected]
Shevonne Ang
Lead, Strategic Communications Office
Email: [email protected]