Meet Future Singapore Creatives From NTU’s School Of Art Design And Media Class Of 2024

QIN AI XIN, 22, BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS IN DESIGN ART (INTERACTION DESIGN)

Her practice in her own words: “I am a multimedia artist specialising in interactive art and photography. My works explore and mirror the intricacies of human relationships through communication between technology and the body, seeking to find a resolution between them.” 

Introduce your final-year project: “My final-year project, swallow me (Again), is a time-based, multi-media installation that seeks to present an abstraction and exploration of the Mother Wound (a term often used by psychoanalysts to refer to the emotional pain mothers feel and pass down generations). It centres around a 2.5m X 2m X 2m clay-based column, inspired by the form of the umbilical cord. When on exhibit, red liquid is pumped through tubing that’s been wrapped around the cord and would slowly drip out, dissolving the clay exterior over time. The sculpture is accompanied by a video screen. The artwork questions the ideology of healing and its possibilities in the context of something so innately present: Perhaps the only way to end a cycle of trauma is to remove its latest vessel from the world.”

What she loves most about her discipline: “My favourite part of interactive art is how differently artists can choose to interpret the bounds of ‘interaction’ – think the relationships from human to human, human to technology, or technology to technology. This lends to an ever-growing diversity of concepts and techniques being utilised in the discipline and are interesting to explore and see.”

Why pursue the arts?: “To search for alternative means of resolution.”

How she balances school, life and her practice: “I try to stay organised and schedule my time well.”

How she de-stresses: “I take a lot of alone time to recharge."

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What she does in her free time: “I listen to, play, and create music.”

What she hopes to do after graduation: “To continue developing my creative practice and exploring different mediums.”

Biggest challenge about being a young creative today: “I think it comes from the digital world evolving towards short-form content and influencer-style content creation. The accompanying algorithms make it difficult to forge genuine connections and build communities through social media platforms. It also creates an environment where it is difficult for quality to win over quantity, which may make art seem less fulfilling if you place your own value in external validation.” 

JONATHAN LEE,  24, BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS IN DESIGN ART (PRODUCT DESIGN)

His practice in his own words: “I am a designer-maker who believes that the artisanal ability to create beautiful things by hand is just as important as working with digital fabrication and materiality. In school, I worked mainly with wood, but also with clay, metal, natural and synthetic polymers, and even advanced materials such as mycelium. I am interested in various topics – from biomedical product design to furniture and installation design.”

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Introduce your final-year project: “The Collection of Objects features an assemblage of handmade wooden objects, and the natural, original forms from which they were initially derived… I’m interested in the notion that human beings inherently classify things in the way they understand them – as the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said: ‘Es hört doch jeder nur, was er versteht’ (which translates to ‘one only hears what they understand’). And this influences what we do especially as designer-makers: from material collection, to seeing the potential in the material, to working with the material and executing the design. Through my work as a craftsperson, I want to challenge this and contemplate whether the concept of ‘things’ would even exist without us, and that ‘things’ are instead entities – both living and nonliving – that we understand and give meaning to… To me, this perspective extends to beyond the world of design and craft. Reflecting how we see things every day can help reshape what we do and should do.”

What he loves most about his discipline: “Working with my hands in fabrication as well as prototyping of any kind. This is one discipline in which you will always get a chance to do so.”

Why pursue the arts? “It is a fact that this industry is not as aggressively developed as others. However, this can be seen as advantageous to people like me who want to pursue a career here. We do not have a long history of any particular craft, nor do we have extremely influential artists or master artisans. This essentially means we can do whatever we want because there is little to compare us to here.”

How he balances school, life and his practice: “I am fortunate enough to be doing something I enjoy so school and my practice are closely intertwined. Of course, work is still work so I make it a point to always plan out my schedule and adhere to it with the same militaristic discipline I have when I’m in the workshop. Much like how I respect safety regulations and workflows to avoid trimming the fingers off my hands, I ensure that I don’t ever feel the need to rush through my work yet am still able to complete my work plans. Any plans for my personal life occur more spontaneously and I have more than enough time for both.”

How he de-stresses: “I don’t really stress much in general. I don’t leave work to the last minute. I also don’t bite off more than I can chew.”

What he does in his free time: “I boulder a lot, spend time with my partner, play computer games and work on personal woodworking projects.”

What he hopes to achieve after graduation: “I get bored easily and need to keep experimenting and innovating, which is why I am now working in academic research. There are constantly new topics to engage with – I will never get bored. Right now, I’m working with my school on a new study about using digital technology to illuminate artefacts of history.”

Biggest challenge about being a young creative today: “For those in my discipline, there persists the difficulty of getting guidance, tools and equipment. There are also spatial constraints, though this would depend on the general scale of one’s work. Ultimately though, everything ties back to the biggest challenge: money. I think that quality small-scale production is very difficult to achieve here unless one is able to fork out a sum to fund it.”

LIM PEI YI, 22, BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS IN MEDIA ART

Her practice in her own words: “I’m a young artist who centres her artistry around the creation of dreamlike, imagined spaces. Through a combination of photography, digital imaging and painting, I form immersive visuals and experiences that seek to encourage soulful introspection and a deeper enlightenment of one’s own psyche, and in turn a fresh perspective on life.”

Introduce your final-year project: “My installation perfect blue is a visualisation of the hypnotic ocean and, at its core, examines mankind’s intrinsic connection to nature. Viewers are invited into an immersive, interactive environment in which they can quietly contemplate, surrounded by digital projections featuring abstract elements found within the seas and skies: cloud and coral formations, jewelled half-moon spheres and jellyfish. And any hand movement would set off visuals of a flurry of fish that would shroud this digital underwater world in darkness. This work is a culmination of the various art forms I enjoy creating with. There’s photography, which is what I specialised in for my course and has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of composition and visual storytelling. There’s also abstract painting, which emphasises and allows me to be expressive with form, colour, line, and texture over representational content. These mediums coupled with my exploration of interactive art and three-dimensional visuals led to the creation of perfect blue… Through this interdisciplinary approach, I hope to showcase how diverse artistic mediums can intersect to create innovative experiences. This installation represents a pivotal moment in my creative journey and is meant to encourage viewers to actively engage with art in a new and exciting way.”

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What she loves most about her discipline: “It’s invigorating to be able to observe something in the world and then express your reaction to it in visual form using your two bare hands.  As an interdisciplinary artist, I also thoroughly enjoy the process of traversing across mediums to depict something unique to me.”

Why pursue the arts? “Pursuing the arts is to me as natural as breathing so the decision simply made sense.”

How she balances school, life and her practice: “I’m not the best person to answer this question because I really don’t? When school and my practice get overwhelming, I would usually buckle down, put my head into the books and just work and work and work… But I would say it’s important to have a strong support system.”

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How she de-stresses: “Every morning, I do yoga and meditate after waking up. It helps put things into perspective and gives me much-needed clarity. Having this routine also gives me a sense of stability and the strength to go out and always do my best. This next point might seem a little embarrassing, but I think it’s important to be true to myself: I also try to romanticise myself as a movie character and not only dress the part, but also listen to the film’s soundtrack as I go about my everyday life. It makes every day so much more special. And on a more technical level, I find that breaking tasks down into smaller segments helps me to better rationalise the working process. This way, even if I’m under a lot of pressure, I am able to see and think things through part by part and make logical decisions to see them through.”

What she does in her free time: “I try to plug out from anything digital and live ‘off-the-grid’, going for hikes and walks, and immersing myself in nature. There is a lot of beauty and  inspiration in the patterns, forms and textures of flora and fauna. Being able to look up and observe the big, boundless sky also makes me feel that the world is full of possibilities and encourages me to continue chasing my dreams. And since most of my art is created via digital means, I like experimenting with physical art forms in my own time, including creating polymer clay miniatures and needle felting.”

What she hopes to achieve after graduation: “I will continue to pursue an interdisciplinary approach to art-making – an amalgamation of art, science, technology, design and the natural world. I would definitely like to experiment with a new medium – one that is more sculptural to explore materiality and dimensionality in both the physical and digital realms. And no matter what I do, I hope to always remain curious about the world and not be afraid to challenge myself and my art.”

Biggest challenge about being a young creative today: “I find that there are many people who question creatives’ sense of purpose. One question I get a lot is ‘Why do you care so much?. I think a lot of people don’t understand – or rather, don’t care to understand – the impact of visual direction and design thinking. Every day, people consume content or an experience that’s the work of a creative. They themselves probably would have had to make a creative decision – it could be something as simple as picking out what to wear. Yet there seems to be not enough empathy and respect for artists, so I would say one of the biggest challenges for young creatives – or any creative – is existing within a soulless society that pays little attention to creative expression and emotions.”

TATIYANA ELISA BINTE HERMANTO, 23, BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS IN DESIGN ART (VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS)

Her practice in her own words: “My practice lies in using humour as a tool for positive change. I use parody and satire to playfully bring social issues to the forefront, sparking conversations that are both engaging and necessary. When I’m not tackling these important themes, I delve into design that celebrates my Malay heritage. It is important to me that I stay connected to my roots and give back to my community.”

Introduce your final-year project: “Titled The School of Real Men, my final-year project revolves around a satirical student handbook that explores the unequal distribution of domestic labour within Singaporean households. Through humour and gentle criticism, the project seeks to raise awareness of the often-invisible workload borne by women in the domestic sphere. Ultimately, it strives to explore the passivity of Singapore men in the hopes of inspiring them to be more conscious and appreciative of this hard work that’s being put in, and in turn be more proactive within their families… I believe humour helps to soften the blow that can come with discussing taboo or difficult topics, and in turn encourages conversation. It also helps to create a sense of connection, making people more receptive and likely to remember my message.”

What she loves most about her discipline: “I love how detail-oriented it is. There is always a reason behind every creative decision. As an overthinker and perfectionist, I enjoy the challenge of refining designs until they perfectly communicate the message. It is a constant learning process and that is incredibly fulfilling.”

Why pursue the arts? “I have always been interested in the arts, but never really had the courage or opportunity to pursue it full-time until I was deciding on a major in university. I did not know what I wanted to do except that I wanted to do something creative. While some doubt the viability of an artistic career, such scepticism has only fuelled my determination to prove otherwise. I’m incredibly grateful towards my parents who have encouraged me to pursue my passion – a privilege they didn’t have themselves.”

How she balances school, life and her practice: “This would definitely be easier during school since a lot of my social circle in school is involved in similar creative pursuits. Now that graduation is on the horizon, I am guessing it will be harder to find this balance, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out. It will just take some prioritising and good time management.”

How she de-stresses: “I take a lot of naps. It is when I can shut down my brain completely and forget about the world.”

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What she does in her free time: “I am a big ‘quality time’ person and enjoy being around my loved ones. We could be talking about everything or nothing at all, and I would be happy all the same.”

What she hopes to achieve after graduation: “My biggest hope is to keep creating work that resonates with me and ignites a spark in others. This might be inspiring conversations about important issues or simply bringing a smile to someone’s face. While making a real difference in the world sounds ambitious, I believe that even the smallest spark can ignite a fire.”

Biggest challenge about being a young creative today: “The biggest hurdle is definitely standing out in a sea of incredible talent. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of great work already out there. This pushes me to constantly ask myself: ‘What is my unique voice?’ and ‘What fresh perspective can I bring?’. It is impossible to not feel small, but that just means we have all the more room to grow.”

TRISHA LEW HUI, 24, BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS IN DESIGN ART (INTERACTION DESIGN)

Her practice in her own words: “As an artist and designer who enjoys fusing interactivity with my love for graphic design and print mediums, my creative process aims to dissolve the boundaries between digital, spatial and print, weaving together dynamic visual narratives that create meaningful experiences. My current fixation is on how generative art and moving images can influence and enhance the realms of branding and print in order to form interesting and highly adaptable visual languages.” 

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Introduce your final-year project: “(The multimedia project) Do Not Disturb speaks of the tension between us and our built environment, and is meant to offer a point of reflection into how our spaces are built – the purposes they serve, their successes and failures, and how our future must understand the balance of order and the needs of the people. Through research findings and the artistic mediums of interactive media, generative AI and graphic design, I hope that this work can contribute to the ongoing discourse surrounding the dialogue between society and hostile architecture, calling for future consideration of human-centric design in our urban spaces… Within Singapore’s urban landscape, it feels like there is a strong fear of disorder. However human movement cannot always be orderly, and what we have here ends up feeling restrictive, sucking out the joy of being in our spaces. I look forward to future spaces that don’t just fulfil their immediate mundane purpose, but also prioritise user-friendliness, encourage social interaction, and are inclusive to people from all walks of life. There is beauty in allowing a little bit of human chaos to shine through… I hope a project like mine can encourage people to be more observant about our everyday spaces, and understand how much of an impact the design of our public spaces can have on our behaviour.”

What she loves most about her discipline: “Being able to design not just how something looks, but also how it can be experienced. I think art that one can immerse him or herself in, and interact with is such an underrated medium.” 

Why pursue the arts? “All the way up till I went to polytechnic, I don’t think it ever occurred to me that my passion for the arts could be something that I could pursue as a career. It was during my years as a communications student in polytechnic – where I was surrounded by so much creativity as well as the right tools and mentorship – that I finally found my way into art and design. It can definitely be daunting, especially in Singapore, but I think that’s what makes this career choice all the more meaningful.”

How she balances school, life and her practice: “I’ve been called a workaholic on multiple occasions, but it helps a lot that I have family, friends and a partner who stay supportive and keep me in check. It’s also important for me to come up with to-do lists arranged in order of priority, set aside enough alone time, and have time to stare at my dog.”

How she de-stresses: “Whenever I need a short break from working, I hold a staring contest with my dog. If I lose, I continue doing work. My dog never loses.”

What she does in her free time: “Aside from doom-scrolling TikTok, I enjoy a good day (or night) out with friends, spending quality time with my dog, and starting new personal projects that I never end up completing.”

What she hopes to achieve after graduation: “My goal within the first few years of my career is definitely to learn and experience as much as I can. I’m hoping to venture more into the intersection between print, digital, spatial and experience design as I want to work towards a future career that allows me to make art and design immersive, meaningful and accessible to all.”

Biggest challenge about being a young creative today: “Finding the courage to be a creative in the first place – and imposter syndrome”

PHOTOGRAPHY ATHIRAH ANNISSA ART DIRECTION PANG JIA WEI HAIR & MAKEUP BENEDICT CHOO

A version of this article first appeared in the July 2024 Overachievers Edition of FEMALE