CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE
“As we look to the future, and our next chapter, I remain confident that NAFA is well-positioned to meet new challenges at this pivotal point in our journey.”
Ms Low Sin Leng
“Creativity,” the pioneering French artist Henri Matisse famously said, “takes courage”.
At its core, creativity can be characterised as changing the status quo, going against the grain—which demands compassionate leadership and bold aptitude. This is exemplified in our Founding Principal Mr Lim Hak Tai and his fellow pioneer artists’ journey in 1938, where they valiantly built their vision of a dynamic, vibrant arts institution that is Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). In the same vein, the academy has been and continues to boldly explore the future, while remaining steadfast in our mission to inspire learning and growth through the arts.
This Year in Review (YIR) is an excellent opportunity for us to reflect on the extraordinary achievements of the past year, and to renew our commitment in enriching the lives of our students and communities through our exciting brand refresh. As we embark on the academy’s dynamic transformation, it is crucial that we embrace radical new ways to strengthen existing offerings, particularly through mutually beneficial relationships and partnerships in Singapore and across the globe.
Our landmark partnership with the eminent University of the Arts London (UAL) took off in August 2021 and we were delighted to welcome the pioneer batch of students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fine Art, Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Design Practice, and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Performance Making programmes. In April 2022, NAFA marked a momentous milestone with the Royal College of Music (RCM) London to commemorate 10 years of partnership for the Bachelor of Music (Honours) programme with a celebratory concert. Over the span of a decade, both institutions have elevated classical musicianship from both western and eastern influences to the highest level, benefiting more than 200 graduates in the process. The concert received tremendous positive feedback for the performances from NAFA students and alumni, and the repertoire which included an exclusive composition TEN ON (Variations and Interruptions for 10 Players) by Professor William Mival, former Head of Composition at RCM.
NAFA also established several collaborative projects with key industry partners such as National Parks Board, M1, and National Museum of Singapore, expanding the opportunities to co-develop and co-nurture the next generation of talents and propel them towards fruitful careers. Additionally, our educators are readily pushing boundaries and refreshing existing pedagogies as evinced in the collaboration with the University of Otago (Otago) for the publication led by Dr Rebecca Kan from NAFA, and Associate Professor Joyce Koh Hwee Ling from Otago, Teaching and Learning the Arts in Higher Education with Technology: Vignettes from Practice, where they delved into evolving teaching methods and effects, and provided stimulus for our staff to continue reinvigorating the classroom.
The outcome of effective teaching pedagogies is further reflected in our student achievers as they clinched prizes in prominent competitions such as the Nippon Paint Asia Young Designer Awards 2021/2022, The Crowbar Awards 2021, SPADE Awards 2021, and the Marina Bay Sands Countdown 2022 Share the Moment Competition. Embodied with the NAFA spirit of creativity, exploration, and resilience, our students continue to scale heights and position the academy at the forefront of arts education. We are indeed proud of them.
Any journey worth taking, will have its fair share of ups and downs. Nevertheless, I am inspired by Matisse’s courage and creativity in the face of challenges as he was unyielding in his pursuit of artmaking despite losing his mobility in his later years. The NAFA community is similarly inspired and encouraged by the determination and passion for the arts by the members of ART:DIS—Singapore’s only arts charity for persons with disabilities. Partnering with the organisation has opened our community’s perceptions while reminding us to anchor NAFA’s values of care and passion in every aspect of our lives. Likewise, I encourage our community to always think about how we can bring more meaning to our endeavours.
Here at NAFA, we must capitalise on the incredible momentum we have unleashed this past year. Together with the refreshed NAFA brand, we will lean on our heritage to strengthen our identity yet reinvent ourselves as we approach the cusp of a new journey as a founding member of Singapore’s first arts university.
We take pride in NAFA’s remarkable accomplishments in the past year, which also signals our potential for future achievements. My heartfelt gratitude to our fellow Board members, management, faculty, and staff as well as students for your continued commitment and dedication.
As we look to the future, and our next chapter, I remain confident that NAFA is well-positioned to meet new challenges at this pivotal point in our journey. With new frontiers and as opportunities beckon, we will soar towards greater growth and achieve excellence in the arts. Let us forge ahead with courage to create positive change, with the spirit of creativity guiding us on an ever-evolving path to greater success.
Ms Low Sin Leng
Chairman
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
OUR LEADERSHIP
Patron
Mr Wee Ee Cheong
Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
United Overseas Bank Limited
Chairman
Ms Low Sin Leng
Directors
Mr Chew Sin Hwa
Managing Director
PT. Prakarsa Pramandita
Mr Chia Wee Boon
Managing Partner
Auxilium Pte Ltd
Ms Harasha bte Khalid Bafana
Business Owner
Prof Heng Chye Kiang
Provost’s Chair Professor
Department of Architecture
College of Design and Engineering
National University of Singapore
Mr Hoong Bee Lok
Group Chief Infrastructure Officer
Corporate Infrastructure Office
National University Health System
Dr Ernest Kan Yaw Kiong
Former Senior Advisor
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Mr Aun Koh
Vice President
Public Relations & Branding
Everise
Dr Kwong Yuk Wah
Adjunct Professor
Department of Information Systems and Analytics
School of Computing
National University of Singapore
Mr Latiff Ibrahim
Consultant
Ramdas & Wong
Mr Leong Weng Kam
Prof Elvin Lim Tze Kiat
Dean, College of Integrative Studies
Singapore Management University
Ms Christine Low Chi Kien
Lead Project Director
New National Cancer Centre Building
National Cancer Centre Singapore
Mr Low Eng Teong
Deputy Chief Executive
Sector Development Group
National Arts Council
Mr Simon Ong Chin Sim
Deputy Chairman
Kingsmen Creatives Ltd
Mr Tan Li Sheng
Director, Higher Education Planning Office
Higher Education Group
Ministry of Education
Ms Yvonne Tham Kwang Hsueh
Chief Executive Officer
The Esplanade Co Ltd
Mr Kennie Ting Wei Jin
Director, Asian Civilisations Museum and Peranakan Museum
Group Director of Museums
National Heritage Board
Associate Prof Jesvin Yeo Puay Hwa
Associate Dean
College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Nanyang Technological University
Executive Committee
Chairman
Ms Low Sin Leng
Members
Mr Hoong Bee Lok
Dr Ernest Kan Yaw Kiong
Dr Kwong Yuk Wah
Mr Leong Weng Kam
Mr Tan Li Sheng
Associate Prof Jesvin Yeo Puay Hwa
Mrs Tan-Soh Wai Lan
Academic Quality Assurance Committee
Chairman
Associate Prof Jesvin Yeo Puay Hwa
Members
Prof Elvin Lim Tze Kiat
Mr Low Eng Teong
Mrs Tan-Soh Wai Lan
Audit & Risk Management Committee
Chairman
Dr Ernest Kan Yaw Kiong
Members
Ms Christine Low Chi Kien
Mr Kennie Ting Wei Jin
Co-opted Member
Mr Koh Chin Beng (co-opted on 1 May 2022)
Establishment Committee
Chairman
Ms Low Sin Leng
Members
Mr Chia Wee Boon
Mr Tan Li Sheng
Mrs Tan-Soh Wai Lan
Estates & Assets Committee
Chairman
Mr Hoong Bee Lok
Members
Mr Low Eng Teong
Mrs Tan-Soh Wai Lan
Co-opted Member
Mr Lee Boon Woei
Finance & Investment Committee
Chairman
Dr Kwong Yuk Wah
Members
Mr Simon Ong Chin Sim
Ms Yvonne Tham Kwang Hsueh
Mrs Tan-Soh Wai Lan
Marketing & Sponsorship Committee
Chairman
Dr Lucy Ooi
Members
Mr Chew Sin Hwa
Ms Harasha bte Khalid Bafana
Mr Aun Koh
Mrs Tan-Soh Wai Lan
Mrs Tan-Soh Wai Lan
President
Mr Jerry Soo Tah Keng
Vice President (Academic)
Ms Carol Tan Mei Mei
Vice President (Corporate Services)
Ms Ho Hui May
Dean, Office of Academic Affairs
Ms Sabrina Long Chin Ling
Dean, School of Art & Design
Principal, School of Young Talents
Dr Jeffery Tan
Dean, Centre for Lifelong Education
Acting Director, Research Division
Dr Caren Carino
Dean, School of Arts Management,
Dance & Theatre
Dr Ernest Lim Hung Choong
Dean, School of Music
Mr Lim Yau
Artistic Director, School of Music
Mdm Fang Yuan
Principal Mentor, School of Young Talents
Head, Junior Music
Ms Carol Sim Soek Cheng
Senior Director, Student Services Division
Dr Tan Lay Pheng
Director, Industry & Projects and
President’s Office
Ms Hazel Chan Hui Shih
Director, Strategic Development Division
Head, Planning & Projects Office
Mr William Teo Siu Jin
Director, Student Admissions Office
Mr Wong Kron Joo
Director, Finance Office
Dr Bridget Tracy Tan
Director, Institute of Southeast Asian Arts & Art Galleries
Academic Advisor (Southeast Asian Arts)
Ms Tay Chor Ngo
Registrar, Office of Student Affairs
Mr Zulkifli Bin Osman
Head, Information Technology Office
Mr Xavier Tan Ting Xuan
Head, Estate Management Office
Mr Norvin Teo Meng Wee
Head, Education & Career Guidance Office
Ms Oscar Ng Hwee Leng
Head, Alumni Relations Office
Mr Ivan Chan Keng Hong
Head, Office of Student Care
Ms Jennifer Yong-Chor Poh Chin
Head, Library
Mr Joshua Tan Guang Liang
Head, Quality Assurance Office
Ms June Tan Phuay Joo
Head, Corporate Communications Office
Ms Charlene Ganesan-Lim
Acting Head, Human Resources Office
Our Year in Numbers
NAFA ranked
in the list of Top 200
Singapore’s Best Employers 2021
Tertiary education
Continuing education
Children’s enrichment and Preschool
Class of 2021—
largest cohort to date
COURAGE
To Create
Our Achievements and Collaborations
SCROLL DOWN TO DISCOVER MORE
As the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, NAFA’s role as one of the region’s leading arts institutions remains steadfast. With the spirit of creativity, exploration and resilience, we continue to inspire current and future generations of artists by pushing the boundaries of learning, collaborating and creating. Technology remains a significant feature and an essential enabler of our endeavours to find new ways of expression, as well as to bring artists together to foster discourse, and to advance learning and collaboration.
In 2021, we celebrate the resilience and achievements of our faculty, students, staff, and that of artists across the region. We will forge ahead with the courage to create positive change on an ever-evolving path to success.
ACADEMY HIGHLIGHTS
AND INITIATIVES
NAFA Convocation 2021: A Celebration of Resilience
Congratulations to NAFA’s Class of 2021!
On 10 September 2021, we celebrated the achievements and commencement of a new journey for 962 graduands from NAFA's 18 diploma and nine degree courses. This is the academy’s largest graduating cohort to date. Hallmark awards such as the Embassy of Peru Award, The Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal and the Wu Tsung Kan Book Prizes were presented to outstanding graduands. Alumnus Yeo Yeok Chuan was presented with the NAFA Distinguished Alumni Medal in recognition of his achievements in design and for giving back to NAFA.
Due to prevailing pandemic restrictions, the ceremony was held virtually for the second time, giving the families and friends of our graduates the opportunity to celebrate this momentous milestone together. The effort reflected NAFA’s future-readiness as a premier, progressive and leading arts institution and more importantly, signified a new chapter of growth as NAFA graduates look to chart new paths and make their mark as changemakers of tomorrow.
To date, over 16,000 individuals have graduated from NAFA. Many have gone on to contribute to the arts and creative landscape at home and abroad, garnering numerous accolades and awards as the academy moves towards a brighter future.
Tending Tenderness
In their mission to advance art and education, the Woon Brothers Foundation has always generously supported the academy with awards to be presented to outstanding Fine Art diploma and degree graduates. The awards seek to nurture these young artists as well as recognise and promote promising talents.
Tending Tenderness is a homecoming exhibition organised by the Fine Art programme, which gathered six past award recipients—Ho Seok Kee, Kim Hyesu, Koh Kai Ting, Michelle Wong, Shairah Rohaizam and Wong Gin Ming—to honour the generosity of the Woon Brothers Foundation over the last six years. The artists featured created works across a range of mediums, materials and processes that reflected the concerns and preoccupations of this emerging generation of art practitioners.
These emerging artists have had to adapt to adversity and shift modes of artmaking in an art ecosystem that has been profoundly impacted by the global pandemic, yet continues to quietly and resolutely exist. The narratives are tender and urgent and themes prevalent in their works include spaces of intimacy, invisible networks and microcosms, artificial intelligence, data and technology, identity and embodied memories, domestic soundscapes, and acts of remembering.
INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS
Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival 2021
Year 3 students from the Interior and Exhibition, Furniture and Spatial, and Object and Jewellery courses, guided by Dr Ang Chiat (Senior Lecturer, 3D Design), were involved in the design of the light-up concept for the 2021 Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival. Themed ‘Reunion’, the iconic street light-up brought festive cheer to the streets of Chinatown and paid tribute to how Singaporeans have stood together to overcome challenges brought about by the pandemic. The centrepiece of the display was a stunning 12-metre-tall statue of Chang-E, the Chinese goddess of the moon.
A Life Well-Lived: Celebrating Wellness
This dance science production was livestreamed from the NAFA Studio Theatre, where the NAFA dancers performed with students from the Quinn Special Student Care Centre. Overseas partners from Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines were also virtually present via projection on screen and played a special part in the 60-minute live performance.
Capping off the performance was an hour-long panel discussion with international medical practitioners and movement professionals congregating to discuss the importance of dance and movement for people with disabilities, the elderly, and those with Parkinson’s disease. The panel featured Dr Dominic Jamora (St. Luke’s Movement Disorders Service); Dr Jennifer Marie Yang (College of Arts & Social Sciences and College of Health & Medicine, Australian National University); and Novy Bereber (Bereber Sayaw PD). The meaningful session was moderated by Dr Filomar Tariao (Senior Lecturer, Dance, NAFA).
SG Facade Art @ Tanjong Pagar - Tiong Bahru
The wall façade art project, organised by the People’s Association, took place under the guidance of NAFA’s Design & Media alumnus Sean Lam. The prominent artist led the residents of Tanjong Pagar and Tiong Bahru to create a seven-storey high artwork that portrayed the importance of Total Defence.
INSTITUTIONAL
PARTNERSHIPS
International Placement at UAL
The first international placement with the University of the Arts London (UAL) took place in 2022 and saw students from NAFA’s Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Design Practice, Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fine Art, and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Performance Making attend classes alongside UAL students.
Apart from the classes and projects which highlighted global issues, students were also exposed to the international and multicultural aspects of design in the lively capital city. Students benefitted immensely from the immersive programme, studying with international practitioners and experts in their fields, and experiencing design and performance making from fresh perspectives.
SOUTHEAST ASIAN ARTS
DIMENSION
Southeast Asian Arts Forum 2021: Schoolhouse Mavericks
The second iteration of the Southeast Asian Arts Forum—Schoolhouse Mavericks—was a hybrid forum that included both in-person and livestreamed presentations, performances and dialogues. The goal was to inspire practice-led teaching and learning of Southeast Asian arts by facilitating an exchange between the community and the classroom.
The speakers featured in this forum are mavericks in their field and unconventional thinkers from a diverse background of creative and academic disciplines. With the aid of technology, travel restrictions and other limitations caused by the pandemic did not stop the 32 creators and makers located in eight different cities across Southeast Asia from coming together to share their thoughts and experiences. Over three days, several hundred people online and in the live venues were able to participate in the dialogues about how to collaborate, teach and learn in such unprecedented times, as well as how to adapt to keep the arts and the spirits of creators vital and alive.
Inspiration abounded as techniques were revisited, and discussion was lively on new methodologies that had developed and surfaced across the arts and in the livelihoods of craftsmen and communities—opening our eyes to a Southeast Asian world that is steeped in tradition but ever evolving.
16 videos-on-demand, including a recording of the eight in-person presentations from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are available at Southeast Asian Arts Forum 2021 (nafa.edu.sg).
In-curricula academic collaborations with NAFA Dance Programme
The Institute of Southeast Asian Arts (ISEAA) initiated and facilitated a series of important collaborative projects between the NAFA academic departments and industry professionals.
Workshops conducted by established Southeast Asian performing arts groups in collaboration with the NAFA Dance Programme gave students exposure to specific Southeast Asian cultures and traditions. As part of their growth of becoming culturally aware creators, the students acquired not only technical knowledge, but also learnt about the historical narrative and cultural significance of these artistic practices.
Ramwong Mattathan Thai Dance Workshop with Absolutely Thai by Kansadaeng Watthanatham
As part of the Ayutthaya project, students were taught the Sat Chatri dance, which is derived from Lakhon Chatri—one of Thailand’s oldest extant dance dramas that originated during the Ayutthaya period. The students performed the Sat Chatri to a live audience at the opening of Flagship Genius featuring Ayutthaya III.
Silat: Martial Arts in Dance Workshop with Sri Warisan
In this workshop, students were taught by Cultural Medallion recipient Madam Som Said and Silat master Fareed Sallim. The lessons combined theory and practice, and included a field trip to Sri Warisan—Singapore’s first fully professional Malay dance company—for Year 2 students. These culminated in dance presentations that incorporated Silat movements.
Through the workshop, students learnt to transfer basic dance movement principles and concepts across dance forms, all while developing keener kinaesthetic awareness, movement efficiency and safe practices in dances.
Balinese Legong Dance Workshop with Eka Suwara Santhi
This introductory lecture on Balinese culture and dance was conducted by Eka Suwara Santhi and covered the eight basic movements of the Balinese Legong dance. After completing the 14-week module centred on the technically challenging and physically demanding dance form, students performed for an audience consisting of their peers and faculty.
Crashing Waves, Billowing Clouds: A Tribute to Tan Kian Por
In memory of the late artist Tan Kian Por—a Cultural Medallion recipient, long-serving teacher and alumnus of NAFA—Crashing Waves, Billowing Clouds was an exhibition which presented 70 of Tan’s best works. Included amongst them were seal carving, calligraphy and ink works created between 1985 and 2016.
Curated by the Estate of Tan Kian Por, the exhibition reflected how NAFA provides a strong foundation for the pursuit of arts education and practice while highlighting the values of creativity, spirit of adventure and resilience.
A commemorative book of the same title containing memorable anecdotes, essays and photos contributed by the accomplished artist’s family, close associates and students, accompanied the exhibition.
Underwater Series 2020 by Tay Kiam Hong
Over 40 large-scale works including paintings, poems and handscrolls were presented at NAFA alumnus Tay Kiam Hong’s third solo exhibition. On display was the artist’s delicate yet powerful freehand brushwork or ‘xieyi’, and other techniques that were honed over two decades of artistic research.
Tay's obsession with marine biodiversity and ecology has long fueled his imagination and inspired the expressive vocabulary of his art. This exhibition was his tribute to marine life—a subject not commonly explored in Chinese ink painting.
Tay's free, playful and dynamic work which is steeped in artistic heritage and tradition embodies NAFA’s pioneering spirit of exploration.
RESEARCH
Action Research Chronicles (ARCH) Phygital Exhibition
The inaugural instalment of ARCH was a hybrid online and in-person exhibition that took place from 26 July to 26 August 2021.
The exhibition featured findings from more than 20 NAFA staff members from the Educational Inquiry and Action Research series. Collectively, the e-zines and posters represented a collage of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment literacies in the performing and visual art disciplines.
Data was collected from NAFA’s learning environment to solve instructional questions and enhance instructional practices. Research topics included the creative applications of design thinking, problem-based learning, mentoring, arts pedagogies, technology-enhanced learning, and interdisciplinary practices for higher education through the arts.
Teaching and Learning the Arts in Higher Education with Technology: Vignettes from Practice
Written by artist educators for artist educators, Teaching and Learning the Arts in Higher
Education with Technology illustrates how technology can enhance the education of artists and designers as they continued to create, make, and add value to life and society through their artistry. Nine authors worked with the co-editors Associate Professor Joyce Koh Hwee Ling (University of Otago) and Dr Rebecca Kan (Vice Dean, Pedagogy and Research, NAFA) to create a nuanced view of their practices in technology-enhanced learning, capturing the educational and performative contexts of our time.
The publication was launched on 4 March 2022, and the online event was graced by Mrs Tan-Soh Wai Lan (President, NAFA) and Professor Helen Nicholson (Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, University of Otago). The launch featured a keynote by Associate Professor Koh; a visual conversation between Georgette Yu and Jacinta Freeman; video abstracts about products in design presented by Tan Choong Kheng and Winson Ho; a panel discussion with Alicia de Silva, Gillian Tan and Grace Leong; and concluded with an open discussion with all the authors, moderated by Dr Kan. The impactful programme provided key insights into unique and established pedagogies by the NAFA faculty members, the effectiveness of which paved the way for more research-informed teaching and learning through the arts.
Click here to view the book launch.
Diversity in Artistic Research: Exposition (DAR:E)
NAFA’s first exposition on artistic research ran as an online discourse over three days in August 2021. The seminars showcased how NAFA’s artist-educators drew upon their personal experiences in the arts to question, ponder and theorise new possibilities. Their artmaking processes were seen as acts of research grounded in text. By focusing on the relationship between creating art and articulating their encounters, the NAFA faculty was setting out a way to explore diverse inquiries in greater depth by weaving artistic practice with reflective pedagogical and research considerations.
The 10 NAFA artist-educators across the performing arts and visual arts were engaged in projects that demonstrated a wide range of performative, visual and theoretical dimensions. The practice-based research inquiry evoked the multiple identities of artist, researcher and teacher that NAFA practitioners occupy.
The research catalogue can be accessed here.
Research in Education and Arts Practice (REAP)—Issue 3: Living in Liminality
NAFA’s third annual edition of Research in Education and Arts Practice (REAP) was released in January 2022 and served as a space for practitioners to reflect on the challenging circumstances experienced in teaching and learning during the second year of COVID-19. The publication Living in Liminality celebrates liminars who were not afraid to engage in new ideas, practices and innovations in arts education and practice research.
In the issue, contributors explored how technology could enhance the education of artists and designers, and how NAFA had seeded a culture of research in processes that supports research and professional learning. International partners from New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom were also featured.
The final chapter includes a closing note from Mrs Tan-Soh Wai Lan (President, NAFA), who highlighted the importance of artistic research and the progression of the academy’s practice-oriented research efforts.
Click here for full access to Living in Liminality.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
reTHINGing Materiality – Contemporary Sculpture 2021
Sculpture Society (Singapore) (SSS) is the first society in Singapore dedicated to nurturing a public appreciation of sculpture as an art form. The society counts many outstanding NAFA alumni among its members and academy graduates of recent years continue to join the society’s ranks; bringing new perspectives in the realm of sculpture.
To cultivate the spirit of inquiry in young practitioners of three-dimensional art, a year-long mentorship was run by distinguished sculptor Yeo Chee Kiong and academic Tan Yen Peng through this platform. Both esteemed artist-educators are NAFA alumni and key members of the SSS. Over 12 months, six young artists were encouraged to develop critical perspectives in visual art practice, with an emphasis on sculpture and three-dimensional art within the context of local and Southeast Asian art scenes. This process expanded the young artists’ understanding of theory and practice.
The mentorship continued through the pandemic and young artists based overseas continued to keep in touch with their mentors online. The sustained interactions the six mentees had with Yeo and Tan culminated in works produced and presented at reTHINGing Materiality - Contemporary Sculpture 2021. More than 30 artworks by NAFA alumni and SSS members of figurative and abstract sculptures, ceramics, installations and new media art were exhibited.
Envisioning A Post-Pandemic Future
How can an educational institution help our young graduates navigate the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic? What can help young graduates recalibrate their compass to find opportunities that have arisen from this crisis?
Envisioning a Post-Pandemic Future is a 10-week research project that involved three mentors and seven students from different disciplines. The project’s aim was to equip our students with the knowledge to make better decisions as they set sail in the untested waters of a post-pandemic future. Carried out during a period when there were restrictions on in-person gatherings and strict safe distancing guidelines, this undertaking was also a model on exploiting opportunities in crisis.
The research dived deep into five emerging trends—The Museum Experience, The Theatre Experience, New Hospitality Experiences, New Retail Experiences and Sustainability in Food Delivery Systems—to reveal opportunity areas for designers and the skills students can master to remain relevant.
In 2021, in collaboration with CapitaLand malls, the research reached other communities when it was presented in a roving exhibition between five major shopping malls downtown and in the heartlands.
NAFA x White Jacket
The theme of community and ‘lepak’ (Singlish for relaxing and doing nothing) served as inspiration for selected NAFA students and alumni who were tasked with painting 10 unique stools designed by NAFA alumna Chen Jiawen. The theme of the project was a reminder to take a break from the busyness of life, and to unwind and reconnect with loved ones. In this inaugural partnership with interior design studio White Jacket, the stools were available for purchase through a silent auction. Proceeds go towards the NAFA Education Fund and International Fund for Animal Welfare.
AWARDS AND SPOTLIGHTS
4th Annual Grand Prix Akoya Pearl Jewellery Ise Shima 2021 Competition
Students from the Diploma in Design (Object and Jewellery) and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Design Practice courses excelled in this competition which saw a total of 92 pearl jewellery design submissions from 10 countries. Raina Hanna Widjaya won first place with her work Rainbow After Rain. Kamath Dhriti Girish came in second with Bullet and Lee Jar Wen's Eternity placed ninth.
Photo credit: Pearl FALCO
Photo credit: Pearl FALCO
Nippon Paint Asia Young Designer Awards 2021/2022
Nippon Paint Asia Young Designer Awards is one of Asia’s leading design competitions. Diploma in Design (Interior and Exhibition) graduate, Vanessa Maera Wijaya, took home the Gold Award in the Interior Design category for her work Seni Pavilion. Veronica Yew (Programme Leader, Interior and Exhibition and Lecturer, 3D Design), was awarded the Best Mentor (Interior Design) award. NAFA also won Best Institution in this competition.
Tung Ching Yew
Adjunct Lecturer, 3D Design
At BLT Built Design Awards 2021, multidisciplinary designer Tung Ching Yew from award-winning spatial design consultancy firm SODA received an Honourable Mention for his spatial design for House On The Moon. With its diverse angular tilts and faceted forms, the unique work explored design narratives relating to anti-gravity and imbalance in the cosmic world.
The BLT Built Design Awards recognises the expertise of professionals worldwide who are involved in the realisation of outstanding projects—from architecture firms and interior design experts to construction products and project management.
Winnie Chongdiono
Year 2, Diploma in Fashion Design
Diploma in Fashion Design student, Winnie Chongdiono, won the product packaging design competition organised by local brand ESTA. Chongdiono’s concept—Circle of Unity and Hope—was the winning response to the competition’s theme of green sustainability. The design was printed on a portable hand sanitiser which was sold online and hit stores during the holiday season in 2021.
Sabrina Koh
Vice Dean, Fine Art
dblspce is an integrated space and incubator dedicated to artistic practice established in 2021 by educators and creative practitioners, Sabrina Koh and Kimberly Shen. Over a year, the residency programme hosted 11 artists and creatives, whose diverse practices span the fields of theatre, visual arts, architecture, literary arts, culture, and art therapy.
As part of Singapore Art Week (SAW) 2022, dblspce presented dblspce 1.0, a collective articulation by artists and creatives from the inaugural cycle of residents. dblspace 1.0 features fragments, relics and contemplation of ideas that were a product of each resident responding and engaging with dblspace's environment and its vicinity.
Yeo Chee Kiong
Adjunct Lecturer, Fine Art
Yeo Chee Kiong is the only artist representing Singapore in one of the world’s biggest annual sculpture exhibitions, Sculpture by the Sea. Monumental #01 - Triumph imitates classical monuments found at plazas in cities around the world with a contemporary twist. Through the use of modern forms, materials, and state-of-the-art technologies, the commemorative piece erected at the Cottesloe Beach is a reflection of the artist’s thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic. The work is designed such that the sunlight of the summer in the day will glorify the Horse Sculpture and its kaleidoscope-like mirror finished surface, while at night, the projected light on the surrounding ground will turn the sculpture into a beacon of hope.
Kimberly Shen
Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer, Fine Art
Curated by Kimberly Shen, While She Quivers bridged the converging practices of visual artists Kanchana Gupta and Yanyun Chen. The exhibition interrogated socially and culturally defined frameworks of femininity in a quiet provocation of desire, power, intimacy, and personal agency through the artists' long-term explorations—Gupta's Production of Desire and Chen's Stories of a woman and her dowry. Both works navigate the precarities of the cultural tropes and expectations of Asian women, in a palpable reclamation of tenderness and strength embedded in the feminine narrative and identity. The Objectifs Chapel Gallery was transformed by the incisive installations into a space that was visceral and contemplative as symbolic gestures, rituals and objects were employed in ways that were equally autonarrative and somatic—unpacking the underlying performativity of being a woman.
Shen is also a co-founder of the integrated space and incubator dblspce. Together with Sabrina Koh, Shen designed a programme featuring dblspce's 11 residents in dblspce 1.0. This was presented as part of Singapore Art Week 2022.
Celest Thoi
Diploma in Graphic Design, 1997
In 2021, fashion alumna and bridal gown designer Celest Thoi was invited to be one of eight leading Malaysian fashion designers to join in Disney’s global Ultimate Princess Celebration. Thoi designed two Disney Princess-inspired couture pieces that were auctioned to benefit Make-A-Wish Malaysia. In the same year, she was listed in Tatler Asia's Most Influential list under the Fashion & Beauty category.
Max Tan
Diploma in Fashion Design, 2006
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fashion, 2020
At The Straits Times Life Theatre Awards 2022, Fashion Studies alumnus Max Tan received the Best Costume award for the theatre production Oiwa - The Ghost Of Yotsuya by The Finger Players.
Supatchai Lappakornkul
Diploma in Dance, 2017
The Esplanade invited NAFA to present a digital work at its da:ns festival’s Next Generation platform in October 2021. As dance on screen came into focus with the rise of technology and the circumstances of the pandemic, the new creations in this edition reflected on and incorporated this development.
With his Thai heritage and Western performing arts training, distinguished choreographer Supatchai Lappakornkul straddles Asian and Western cultures.
The live performance film, Nātaya, by Lappakornkul was a refreshing take in the world of digital experimentation. The work presented the choreographer’s heritage from a contemporary perspective. Thai dance movement and children’s games were married with ballet and contemporary dance. A Thai folk song was transformed by an oboe, clarinet, flute, horn, bassoon quintet and piano. New technologies were embraced to further, not replace, the physical celebration and expression of our human experience and imagination.
Kirill Chastukhin
Year 3, Diploma in Dance
Kirill Chastukhin clinched a Silver for his choreography On the distance at the 8th Asia Arts Festival. Since 2013, the festival has provided a notable platform for musicians and dancers from across the world and all genres to showcase their talents and skills before an illustrious panel of adjudicators. Chastukhin’s winning work was performed by NAFA’s Year 1 and 2 Dance students Amadea Chiara Jusman, Lee Yuan Ching, Jaime, Suntiwong Anyamon and Oh Ci En Kelly in the Contemporary Dance – Quartet category.
Kong Ling Jing
Diploma in Theatre (Mandarin Drama), 2015
Kong Ling Jing played the female lead in the new film When the Wind Blows【有风吹过】, directed by award-winning filmmaker Liu Jun Feng. Since her professional debut, Kong has appeared in many television series, web series, stage plays, movies and commercials.
Belle Chua
Diploma in Theatre (Mandarin Drama), 2016
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Theatre Arts, 2019
Belle Chua appeared in the Jack Neo film Ah Girls Go Army which was released islandwide on 1 February 2022. This box office hit focused on the first batch of female recruits undergoing National Service in a fictional future of Singapore.
SCHOOL OF YOUNG TALENTS
13-19 Art Prize
Launched in 2021, the 13-19 Art Prize is a nationwide art competition which recognises and celebrates young art talents aged 13 to 19 years old. It aims to promote a diversity of artistic expressions and inspire the next generation of artists to take their creative potential to new heights.
NAFA’s Junior Art student Pan Jiayao clinched the Gold Award in the Canvas Artwork Category, with her work Regrown. Chng Ya Xuan Renee's Hidden Away and Hrishit Shaw's Explosive Flare bagged the Bronze Award in the same category.
Funds raised from auctioning the winning works will go towards The Business Times Budding Artists Fund which supports children and youths from financially disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue their dreams and fulfil their potential in the arts.
Youth Arts Festival 2021
Hosted by the Singapore Dance Alliance, the Youth Arts Festival (YAF) is open to dancers of all nationalities aged five years and above. A total of 73 students from Junior Dance, who worked very hard to perfect their skills and performance under the guidance of the teachers, participated in the 2021 competition. Numerous awards were won by the talented young dancers:
- Three Gold in the Ballet (Solo) category
- Two Gold in the Ballet (Group) category
- Two Gold in the Any Genre (Group) category
- One Grand Award in the Ensemble/Group category
- One Silver in the Ballet (Solo) category
- Three Bronze in the Ballet (Solo) category
In addition, Zou Yi (Acting Head, Junior Dance) earned the Outstanding Choreography Award. The Outstanding Teacher Award was given to Liu Xiaomi.
Get the Beat 2021
30 Junior Dance students took part in the Asia Finals of Get the Beat dance competition.
The students’ hard work and dedication paid off as we bagged the following awards:
- First prize in the GROUP (8&U CLASSICAL) category
- First prize in the GROUP (10&U CLASSICAL) category
- First prize in the SOLO (15-19YRS BALLET) category
- Third prize in the SOLO (10&U BALLET) category
National Piano and Violin Competition 2021
At this prestigious biennial competition, our Junior Music students took home two 1st Prize, three 2nd Prize, four 3rd Prize and one Honourable Mention.
Of note is the 1st Prize won in the Violin Senior category by Javan See Kaiyi and Violin Artist category by Dai Ailin.
Chloe Chua
Junior Music
Since her win at the 2018 Menuhin Competition, Chloe Chua has continuously received invitations to perform with reputable orchestras at prestigious local and international events, as well as record repertoire.
In early 2022, the gifted musician was involved in the video recording for Singapore Tourism Board’s SingapoReimagine campaign to promote tourism as the nation reopens. Chua was also involved in the Chingay Parade which was aired live on television.
Give Future Creative Talent the Courage to Create
When you donate to NAFA, your donation will be used to support our scholarly initiatives and build the academy’s capabilities. More importantly, your donation is a message of encouragement for the creative pursuits of our students and faculty, and the staff who support them. It is a statement that you believe in nurturing artistic growth.
One in every four students is in need of financial support and can benefit tremendously from your donation, no matter the amount.
You can make that difference.
GIVING BACK
Donation of S$230,000
Following Mr and Mrs Christopher Ho’s generous donations in 2019 of S$100,000 to organise the NAFA School of Young Talents—Christopher and Rosy Ho Music Competition, and S$150,000 in 2020 for the purchase of a Steinway grand piano, the Junior Music Department received another donation of S$230,000 in December 2021.
Part of 2021's contribution has gone towards the purchase of another Steinway piano, and a part has been set aside for full scholarships to be awarded to outstanding Junior Music students from 2022 to 2024. In appreciation of the donation, another studio accommodating the second Steinway piano has been named the Rose Recording Studio.
GIVE TO NAFA
Each of us can make a difference.
Together we create change.
For more than 80 years, NAFA has nurtured individual creative expression and inspired those who dare to dream. Our mission is to support talented individuals who lack the financial means but possess passion, ambition and the drive to excel. Every donation to NAFA makes a difference. Regardless of the amount, every contribution is an investment in Singapore’s future creative talent so that:
Students can concentrate fully on their studies, without having to work part-time
Deserving students can receive an education despite financial limitations
NAFA can support more talented students
BENEFITS OF GIVING
Tax deductible at 2.5 times your gift value
Opportunities for naming rights
Acknowledgment and recognition on NAFA’s communication platforms
Eligible for government matching grants
GIVING PROGRAMMES
Scholarships and Financial Awards to recognise students’ achievements and help them cope with the cost of an arts education
Student Relief Fund to help full-time NAFA students whose families face sudden financial difficulties
NAFA Talent Development Programme to identify and groom talented students in their related fields of study
NAFA Development Fund to improve campus facilities for teaching and learning
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Simply scan and donate. Key in givetonafa in the reference field. Should you require a tax deduction (for donations > S$10), please provide your mobile number for us to get in touch with you.
Alternatively, let us help you to maximise the impact of your gift to NAFA! Have a chat with us at [email protected] or 6512 4016. Together, we can nurture and inspire the next generation of creative talents and help deserving students realise their dreams.
Our benefactors
Donor Appreciation Workshop
(Japanese Pastel Nagomi Art)
NAFA is extremely grateful to our donors for their continued support and generous donations over the years. They have helped our young artistic talents to realise their dreams and make a positive impact on society.
To express our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation, and to deepen the relationship between our donors and students, NAFA organised a Japanese Pastel Nagomi Art Workshop which was held on 3 December 2021. The donors who attended were each joined by one of their scholarship recipients.
Seated in a classroom, our donors reminisced about their times as students as they tried their hand at this art form involving techniques such as blending and reduction. It was heartwarming to see the students chatting away and interacting with their benefactors over a shared interest in the arts. Both the donors and our students thoroughly enjoyed the session and looked forward to more arts-related workshops.
Quotes from donors
“We enjoyed attending the Nagomi Art Workshop, where we experienced the innocent nature of meditative creation through paint and imagination. It reminded us of why we love and support the arts.”
Mr Tan Keng Leck, Vice Chairman of Tan Ean Kiam Foundation
“My wife, Tanya and I were thrilled to be able to support NAFA this year. It’s been clear to us that COVID-19 has had a strong adverse impact on the performing arts. It is imperative—now more than ever—that young talents in the performing arts feel supported, encouraged and empowered to pursue education and careers in these fields. We look forward to many years of scholarship recipients at NAFA refining their skills to become world-class performers.”
Mr Sriram Vaidhyanthan
“Giving to the needy has been my ethos from young. When I became a Christian, the teaching to help those in need was also clear. I believe that we are blessed to be a blessing. When my friend Carol Tan who works in NAFA shared with me the plight of some of the needy NAFA students, I was moved to help. I hope that the bursaries will go in some small way to ease the students’ burdens and they can concentrate on their studies without having to work part-time. It is my hope that they will pay it forward.”
Mdm Pang Kok Lian
Funds raised from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022
S$1 million and above
The Ngee Ann Kongsi
S$50,000 to S$299,999
Ho Christopher Wing On
Singapore Totalisator Board
Tan Chay Bing Education Fund
Tan Chin Tuan Foundation
Tan Ean Kiam Foundation
TF IPC Limited
S$10,000 to S$49,999
Anonymous
D.S. Lee Foundation
Eric Tan
Gog Soon Joo
Hong Leong Foundation
Loh Jian Hao
Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited
Riverhub Pte Ltd
Sriram Vaidhyanthan
Tan Kwang Hwee
The Masonic Charitable Fund
United Overseas Bank Limited
Woon Brothers Foundation Pte Ltd
S$1,000 to S$9,999
Abitex Designs (S) Pte Ltd
Air Liquide Singapore Pte Ltd
Andras Kristof
Annabel Joanne Isaac
Anonymous
Aureus Group Pte Ltd
Ben Foods (S) Pte Ltd
Chay Yiowmin
Chen Hsing An Jessica
Chia Wei Khuan
Ching Kah Pick Lena
Choo Chiau Beng
Chua Chuan Leong Contractors Pte Ltd
Chua Yang
Co Susan Y
Desmond Poh Qi Pin
Essentially Strings
Firefly Pan-Asia Trading Pte Ltd
Forum of Fine Arts
Goh Toh Chai
S$1,000 to S$9,999
Hoong Bee Lok
James Alexander Jen Tung Liu
James Koh Jyh Gang
Kan Shook Wah
Kenneth Eng Chwee Hock
Kevin Koh Rongsheng
Lee Tuck Wah, Philip
Lim Hung Choong Ernest
Lim Tee Heong
Logistics Construction Pte Ltd
Loh Ban Chye
Low Sin Leng
Mencast Holdings Ltd
Mitsubishi Electric Asia Pte Ltd
National Parks Board
Ng Hwee Leng Oscar
Ngee Cheng Electric Company Pte Ltd
Obgyn Consultants Pte Ltd
Ooi Choon Jin
Patricia Suor
Rigel Technology (S) Pte Ltd
Rohit Sobti
Ronald Choong
Samwoh Corporation Pte Ltd
Sato Kogyo (S) Pte Ltd
Seamaritime Agency Pte Ltd
Sembcorp Development Ltd
Sembcorp Specialised Construction Pte Ltd
Seow Hwai Khee
Shaojun Violin Shop
Simon Ong Chin Sim
Singapore Power Limited
Soh Wai Lan
Synwin Music Pte Ltd
Tan Ai Ling Eleanor
Tan Kay Seng Tommy
Tang Sheung Ching David
Teoh Leong Kay
Tiki International Enterprises Pte Ltd
Toh Hoon Meng Bernard
Tong Ming Xi Pte Ltd
Trivec Singapore Pte Ltd
World’s Talents Pte Ltd
Yeo Soon Keong
Yong Kon Yoon
Zhao Feng
Our SCHOLARS
As a result of generous gifts from our donors, more than S$990,000 was given out in the form of scholarships, merit awards and bursaries to 195 worthy students in the Academic Year 2021/2022. The following students received scholarships for their excellent academic performance.
Dare to Dream Scholarship (Diploma)
Ahbirami Shalini D/O Ramesh
Diploma in Graphic Communication
Choong Yan Yu Alicia
Diploma in Design (Interior And Exhibition)
Koh Rui Ling Christine
Diploma in Theatre (English Drama)
Leong Yoon Pin Scholarship (Degree)
Ho Sze En, Grace
Bachelor of Music (Honours)
Yeo Zhe Qi
Bachelor of Music (Honours)
Loh Jian Hao Scholarship (Degree)
Elston Tan Rui Xiang
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Design Practice
Loh Jian Hao Scholarship (Diploma)
Ang Zhi Yan
Diploma in Fine Art
Lucien Wang Scholarship (Degree)
Chew Kai Xin
Bachelor of Music (Honours)
Jesselyne Onggie
Bachelor of Music (Honours)
Lakanasirorat Thantakorn
Bachelor of Music (Honours)
Yap Qin
Bachelor of Music (Honours)
NAFA Entry Scholarship (Degree)
Lauryn Beth Fernandez
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fine Art
Lee Wen Xiang
Bachelor of Education (Honours) in Instrumental & Vocal Teaching
Lei Zheng
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fine Art
Manmohan Agastya
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Design Practice
Nicole Theodora Prasetia
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Design Practice
Palaruan Jyanne Von Jagow Lagumen
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Performance Making
Shyamsundar Adithya
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Design Practice
Wee Yun Lin, Tricia
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Arts Management
NAFA Music Scholarship (Degree)
Clarissa Amanda
Bachelor of Music (Honours)
NAFA Scholarship (Diploma)
Erlyn Alexander
Diploma in Music
Kamilia Azzara
Diploma in Design (Landscape And Architecture)
Kenenza Michiko Hasan
Diploma in Fine Art
Li Sixian
Diploma in Theatre (Mandarin Drama)
Livia Fin
Diploma in Illustration Design with Animation
Nur Amirah Binte Rohaizad
Diploma in Arts Management
Velda Emmeline Wijaya
Diploma in Graphic Communication
NAFA Scholarship for SOTA Students (Diploma)
Sophie Lim Yann Yu
Diploma in Dance
Tan Yu Xuan Valerie
Diploma in Dance
Cherie Genevieve Wong Qing Qing
Diploma in Dance
Neo Rui Zhi
Diploma in Music
NAFA Talent Scholarship (Diploma)
Liu Xiaomiao
Diploma in Music
Michelle Lim Qian Yee
Diploma in Music
Pratummes Naphaswan
Diploma in Dance
Custodio Pia Angela Paz
Diploma in Dance
OCBC Local Undergraduate Scholarship
Koh En Kai, Johann
Bachelor of Music (Honours)
Tan Ting Yan, Rebecca
Bachelor of Music (Honours)
Tan Yun Qu
Bachelor of Music (Honours)
RCM Musical Excellence Award
Danielle Ong Min Lee
Bachelor of Music (Honours)
Tan Chay Bing Entry Scholarship (Diploma)
Catryn Anjanette
Diploma in Fashion Design
Desiree Chan
Diploma in Illustration Design with Animation
Nurul Huda Binte Hilmie
Diploma in Theatre (English Drama)
Wilson Timotius
Diploma in Theatre (English Drama)
Yap Fang Yi
Diploma in Music
Tan Chay Bing Scholarship (Diploma)
Arista Theodora Victoria Suiwito
Diploma in Design (Landscape and Architecture)
Chen Chi
Diploma in Dance
Fong Zi Ying
Diploma in Music
Jason Rafael Archieta
Diploma in Design (Interior and Exhibition)
Jazzica Coco Lee Lin Zhuang
Diploma in Music
Koh Yu Jie
Diploma in Music
Vallenthalia Zefania Gracelly
Diploma in Design (Landscape and Architecture)
Tan Chin Tuan Scholarship for Creative Education (Degree)
Charlyn Chye Jing Yi
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Design Practice
Natalie Linn Titus
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Performance Making
Tan Chin Tuan Scholarship for Creative Education (Diploma)
Koh Yi Ling, Tizane
Diploma in Music
Nur Hidayah Binte Ruzman
Diploma in Advertising
Tan Ean Kiam Arts Scholarship (Diploma)
Loh Hui Xuan Nilia
Diploma in Graphic Communication
Nur Hasya Binte Norazip
Diploma in Design (Landscape and Architecture)
Shannen Sutanto
Diploma in Graphic Communication
Tan Ean Kiam Entry Arts Scholarship (Diploma)
Lin Huiyi Rachel
Diploma in Arts Management
Tey Yu Xi
Diploma in Graphic Communication
The Ngee Ann Kongsi Scholarship (Degree)
Beh Cui Shan Serene
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fine Art
Indra Faridzuan Bin Runzi
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Design Practice
Kysha Ashreen Amir Singh
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fine Art
Lim Wei Yin, Courtney Mae
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Performance Making
Muhammad Irfan Bin Zakariah
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Design Practice
Nathasia Chin Shi Min
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Performance Making
Sarah Kwek Jing-Wen
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fine Art
Siti Nur Syahadah Binte Ali
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Performance Making
Tammylyn Tuang Miao Xian
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fine Art
Tan Meng Kai, Royson
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Design Practice
The Ngee Ann Kongsi Scholarship (Diploma)
Anastasha Binte Muhammad Irhan Perry Abdullah
Diploma in Theatre (English Drama)
Muhammad Amirul Mukminin Bin Abdullah
Diploma in Theatre (English Drama)
Nur Afiqah Binte Ahmad
Diploma in Arts Management
Sharifah Fatihah Aljunied
Diploma in Theatre (English Drama)