Chew Ziyang Hans is a Singapore-based visual artist who works primarily with clay. His practice explores themes of foreignness, discord and nostalgia, drawing on the tactile qualities of clay as a means of thinking, making and expressing ideas.
Hans began his ceramics journey at the School of the Arts, where he majored in ceramics, before pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Tama Art University in Tokyo, Japan, graduating with distinction. During his years in Japan, he gained experience at the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, Mashiko Tougei Club and the studio of ceramic artist Kusakabe Masakazu.
He subsequently completed his Master of Fine Arts Fine Art at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), University of the Arts Singapore (UAS). During his postgraduate studies, he received the NAC-UAS Arts Scholarship, jointly established by the National Arts Council and UAS to nurture outstanding students and develop the next generation of arts leaders in Singapore.
Alongside functional pottery, which he regards as the bread and butter of his practice, Hans creates objects that explore his sense of self and his relationship with the environment around him. Working with clay as a tactile medium, he believes that the ability to “think with both hands” is as important as conceptualising and communicating one’s thoughts.
Hans has exhibited in Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan, China and Italy. In 2026, he received the Best Graduate Award, the Woon Tai Jee Art Prize from the Woon Brothers Foundation and the Creative Impact Award from NAFA’s Faculty of Art and Design. His recent professional practice includes participation in Artfield Nanhai Guangdong 2026 in Foshan, China, and his solo exhibition Where the City Softens at the Esplanade Community Wall in Singapore.
Awards & Achievements
- 2026 – Best Graduate Award, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
- 2026 – The Woon Tai Jee Art Prize, Woon Brothers Foundation, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
- 2026 – Creative Impact Award, Faculty of Art and Design, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
- 2026 – 13 Emerging Artists Defining Singapore Art Week 2026, FZINE
- AY2025/2026 – NAC-UAS Arts Scholarship
- 2025 – Jury’s Choice, Pockets of Rest Competition, Everyday Museum, Singapore Art Museum
- 2023 – Graduation Work with Distinction, Tama Art University
Exhibitions & Professional Practice
2026
- Artfield Nanhai Guangdong 2026, Foshan, China
- Solo exhibition, Where the City Softens, Esplanade Community Wall, Singapore
- Touchpoints, Journey East, Singapore
- Elemental Form, Appetite, Singapore
- Glitch in the Garden, Whitestone Gallery, Singapore
2025
- Pockets of Rest, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
- Latex Lobby, National Library Board, Singapore
- Tilted Gaze, Taiwan National University of the Arts, Taiwan
- From a Time Before, Art Agenda, Singapore
- Singapore 60/60 in Focus, INSTINC Gallery, Singapore
- Arts in the Alley, 21 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore
- Beyond Print, Lim Hak Tai Gallery, NAFA, Singapore
- Murmurs of the Unknown: Where We Meet, NAFA and National Design Centre, Singapore
2024
- P_ORTALS I_S_A_N_D_S, Excelsior Shopping Centre, Singapore
- Solo exhibition, Softer Toys, Gallery Blue, Tokyo, Japan
- Far and Wide, Delicate and Exquisite, Red Gold Fine Art Gallery, Taiwan
- マチに穴が空いている, U&C Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
- 15th Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition, Taiwan National University of the Arts, Taiwan
- Ceramic Expressions 7th Edition, Mulan Gallery, Singapore
- The Luxury of Punishment, Ann Siang House, Singapore
- In-Site: A Jungle of Curiosity, INSTINC Gallery, Singapore
- International Community Art Festival Choge Village, Akita, Japan
- Little Shop of Zines, Borgo di Colle Ameno ART CITY, Bologna, Italy
- Waku Waku, Violet Room, Peace Centre, Singapore