Founding principal, Lim Hak Tai and a group of like-minded arts education enthusiasts came together with a dream: To develop a school modelled after the Chinese art academies but with a curriculum balanced between Western and Chinese art traditions.

With the support from the Society of Chinese Artists and Singapore alumni of Jimei High School in Xiamen, this dream came to fruition on 10 March 1938 and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (南洋美术专科学校) was launched.

The school was located in an old two-storey shophouse at 167 Geylang opposite the Gay World Amusement Park and had just 14 Fine Art students. It shared its space with the Society of Chinese Artists and together, the two co-organised activities such as guest artist lectures by Xu Beihong, which increased the school’s profile.

When student enrolment increased to 50 students taught by 12 teachers, the school moved to a bungalow at 93 Serangoon Road.

The school’s pioneering batch of four Western art students graduated on 20 June 1940, but the school closed a year later when the war hit Singapore.

In 1946, Lim Hak Tai reopened the school at 49 St. Thomas Walk and the name ‘Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts’ was formally registered. 

Lim laid down six guidelines for the school:

● Fusion of art of the East and the West
● Integration of culture and customs of the four races
● Development of the spirit of science and current social thinking of the 20th century
● Expression of the local flavour through art
● Reflections of popular demands of local people
● Emphasis on the educational and functions of fine art

Then, there were 30 students in attendance, 40 percent of whom were international. The faculty comprised Chinese émigré artists who came to Singapore in search of a better life after the Japanese occupation, including but not limited to pioneer artists such as Cheong Soo Pieng, Chen Wen Hsi and Chen Chong Swee. Georgette Chen also joined NAFA in 1954, adding to the list of names who would leave a profound impact on generations of artists to come.

When Founding Principal, Lim Hak Tai passed away due to poor health in 1963, his son, Lim Yew Kuan, an alumnus of NAFA, was appointed the Acting Principal. He was appointed full Principal in 1964, where he remained until 1979.

The 1970s was a challenging time for NAFA as the 1973 oil crisis, coupled with Singapore’s separation from Malaya in 1965, caused student enrolment to dip. 

To help the school relieve its financial difficulties, in 1974, a pool of graduates came together to sell their artwork, raising S$120,000 for the school.

Numerous other alumni also returned to NAFA to help sustain its fine artistic tradition and promote fine art in Singapore.Notable names included Sim Kok Huoy and Tan Ping Chiang, the latter who became the first Head of our Applied Arts course established in 1974.

In 1976, NAFA started painting classes for children, a move that generated awareness about the arts, and gave the school an avenue to identify potential students for the future.

By 1978, there were about 180 students in full-time and part-time evening and weekend courses taught by 12 lecturers, who were well-known local artists. Classes offered included Chinese ink painting, pencil sketching, oil painting, sculpture and other art theoretical studies.

On the leadership front, Wu Tsung Kan was appointed the third Principal and Lim Yew Kuan the Vice Principal in 1979.

A significant milestone in the 1980s was the change of NAFA’s name in Chinese from 南洋美术专科学校 to 南洋美术专科学院. This was pivotal in altering NAFA’s status from a school to an academy.

In tandem with this, NAFA spent the decade improving its programme offerings. 

For example, in 1983, when the Ministry of Education sent the first batch of 20 teachers to NAFA to upgrade their skills in fine art, the school responded by converting the Secondary School Art Teachers In-Service class to the Department of Arts Education.

Other curriculum changes were made in alignment with Singapore’s economic growth and cultural development: 

● 1982: NAFA launched a new full-time Diploma in Applied Arts course, making it the first institution in Singapore to do so. Courses in computer graphic design were also offered.
● 1983:  The Department of Interior Design was formed
● 1984: The Department of Music and and Department of Dance were set up 
● 1986: The Fashion Design Department was established

NAFA’s campus size also grew alongside the programmes and with the support of the Singapore Foochow Association, NAFA opened the San San Campus at 107A Sophia Road in 1982. Three years later, it also took up a lease at the Nan Hwa campus at 2 Adis Road.

Our third Principal, Wu Tsung Kan retired in 1988 and was succeeded by Dr Gwee Yee Hean in 1989.

The 1990s heralded a decade of enormous change at NAFA as it grew from a fine art training academy to a full-fledged arts institution offering new programmes in design and multimedia. To reflect this, NAFA’s name in Chinese was changed from 南洋美术专科学院 to 南洋艺术学院 to reflect this. 
The first significant shift was the reorganisation of various departments into three main schools: School of Visual Arts, School of Performing Arts and International School of Fashion Studies.
The Drama (renamed Theatre in 1998) department was set up in August 1997, and in 1999,  the departments of Junior Art, Junior Music, Junior Dance and Junior Drama were consolidated under the School of Young Talents. The International School of Fashion Studies was renamed School of Fashion Studies.
The nineties were also when NAFA began expanding its further education offerings, and in 1998, the school launched two degree programmes in collaboration with Australian universities. In 1999, thanks to the rising interest in arts education, and a government study on the impact of arts institutes on the creative industries, NAFA was recognised as a full tertiary institution with polytechnic-level government funding for its diploma courses.

Other highlights of the decade are as follows:
● 1990: NAFA expanded its campus by leasing the Selegie School premises at 1A Short Street from the National Arts Council.
● 1992: The NAFA logo was modified and NAFA Board Chairman Chng Heng Tiu was appointed Acting Principal.
● 1994: Dr Soh Kay Cheng was appointed the fifth Principal.
● 1996: The National Arts Council sponsored NAFA’s acquisition of the old premises of St. Anthony’s Convent on Middle Road to replace the Nan Hwa and San San campuses, and a year later, also the use of 11 Upper Wilkie Road.
● 1997: Dr Ho Kah Leong, former Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Ministry of Environment) was appointed NAFA’s sixth principal. A multimedia department was set up in January. 
● 1998: A new logo was born. Designed by Berwin See, it sought to bring across the message “to proceed freely in the world”. Prominent calligrapher Pan Shou wrote the Chinese characters of the academy in the logo.

The 2000s marked a decade of intensive growth as NAFA expanded its campus and continued to revamp its programme structure to meet the evolving needs of the industry.

● 1999 to 2001: NAFA sought to partner top universities for its degree programmes and a comprehensive array of courses from universities in the United Kingdom was introduced.

● 2003: 
○ Former Chief Executive Officer of National Arts Council, Choo Thiam Siew, became the seventh NAFA President.  
○ The Ministry of Education entrusted NAFA to train future art and music teachers and two teaching courses, Diploma in Art Teaching and Diploma in Music Teaching were launched.

● 2004: NAFA  succeeded in obtaining three plots of land totalling 8,500sqm along Bencoolen Street and made its move to its first purpose-built campus.

● 2007: 
○ Various departments are reorganised to reflect the changing demands of the industry. For example, the Interior Design Department was renamed Department of 3D Design. Also, the Visual Communications Department and Multimedia Department were merged to form the Department of Design & Media. The Arts Management Department was renamed Department of Arts Management & Education.

● 2008: 
○ NAFA celebrated its 70th anniversary, with the inaugural NAFA Symposium, New Asian Imaginations.
○ An anniversary book on NAFA’s history and future plans titled, Arts Education and the New Economy: NAFA 1938 – 2008, was published.

● 2009: A new logo was released. This incorporated an abbreviation of the original Chinese characters by Pan Shou. NAFA Gallery 3 was also renamed Lim Hak Tai Gallery as tribute to NAFA’s Founding Principal and Lim’s portrait sculpture was unveiled outside the gallery. 

The 2010s were a time of celebration as NAFA continued its transformation into the leading arts institution you know today.

● 2011: 
○ In April, NAFA became the first comprehensive arts education institution to launch a government-funded degree programme, the Bachelor of Music (Hons), with the prestigious Royal College of Music (RCM), London. This was the first time that RCM conferred its degrees outside the United Kingdom.

○ In June, NAFA became the first arts education institution to be awarded the four-year EduTrust certification (presently under the purview of SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)).

○ In September, the second NAFA symposium New Asian Imaginations: (Re)Searching the Arts in Southeast Asia was held.

○ NAFA announced plans for its fourth campus to be built above the future Bencoolen MRT station.

● 2013
○ NAFA celebrated its 75th anniversary with an extravaganza of visual and performing arts events to showcase its talented students and faculty. The events culminated in a NAFA 75th Anniversary Fundraising Gala Dinner & Concert graced by President Tony Tan Keng Yam on 1 November. Over S$1.2 million was raised for the NAFA Development Fund.

● 2014: Choo Thiam Siew stepped down as President and was succeeded by former Ngee Ann Polytechnic Principal Chia Mia Chiang who became the eighth President.

● 2015:
○ NAFA’s academic structure was reviewed and departments were re-organised into three academic schools to reap synergies in curriculum planning, teaching and learning, utilisation of facilities and resource planning. This saw 3D Design, Design & Media, Fine Art and Fashion Studies departments coming under the new School of Art & Design, while the Dance, Theatre and Arts Management & Education departments formed the School of Arts Management, Dance & Theatre. The Music Department was re-designated as the School of Music.

○ In December, the Academy received its largest donation since its founding in 1938. The Ngee Ann Kongsi pledged a sum of S$10 million to NAFA, of which S$9.4 million went to support the cost of building a new facility above the Bencoolen MRT Station. The rest of the donation or S$0.6m was channelled to The Ngee Ann Kongsi Talent Scholarships.

● 2016: A generous S$5 million donation from the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple supported the NAFA Development Fund, the acquisition of library resources, and the set up of the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Student Relief Fund and the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Fellowship.

● 2017:
○ NAFA welcomed His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales to The Ngee Ann Kongsi Galleries on 1 November. During the tour of the galleries, NAFA alumni with pieces in the NAFA collection were present to introduce their work and explain about the techniques used. Students from the School of Music were also given the opportunity to meet and perform for His Royal Highness.

● 2018:
○ NAFA celebrated its 80th anniversary and the official opening of the NAFA Campus 1 Tower Block, located above Bencoolen MRT Station.

○ The launch event of the anniversary celebrations and campus opening was officiated by Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) and Second Minister for Defense.

○ The event also kickstarted a year-long festivities, including an eight-week long arts festival, an opera production, a commemorative book publication, homecoming events for NAFA alumni, and a rich variety of other performances.

● 2019:
○ 2019 was the mid-point of NAFA’s 10-year Strategic Plan (2015 to 2024) and the academy embarked on a major review exercise to assess its accomplishments, refine strategies, and chart the course for its upcoming journey.

○ The pioneer batch of the NAFA Foundation Programme (NFP) students graduated. The NFP, aligned with a growing national focus on providing quality arts education in Singapore, launched on 4 March with 53 students.

○ In July, the inaugural Southeast Asian Arts Forum was organised by the Institute of Southeast Asian Arts (ISEAA). This forum took the form of presentations, practical demonstrations, and performances, fostering lively discussions and exchanges to promote awareness and collaboration in the spirit of discovery.

● 2020:
○ For the first time in the academy’s 82 years, the annual Convocation Ceremony was held virtually on 25 September. Despite navigating challenges posed by the pandemic, the academy successfully hosted the significant event and celebrated the accomplishments of 905 graduands across 18 diploma and nine degree courses.

○ Mr Chia Mia Chiang stepped down as the President of NAFA on 31 December after six years of distinguished leadership.

● 2021:
○ Mrs Tan-Soh Wai Lan was appointed the ninth President of NAFA. She was formerly Coordinating Divisional Director of the Communications and Engagement Group at the Ministry of Education, and Principal of CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School and Anderson Secondary School.

○ Growing from strength to strength, NAFA unveiled three new degree programmes—Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fine Art, Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Design Practice, and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Performance Making—through a strategic partnership with the globally renowned University of the Arts London (UAL). The groundbreaking collaboration was officially launched on 7 January, reaching an international audience both in person and online across different time zones. This pivotal step not only highlighted NAFA's global perspective but also demonstrated its foresight in offering robust and diverse academic pathways, cementing its eminent status in Asia.

○ In a landmark alliance, NAFA and LASALLE College of the Arts jointly established the first arts university in Singapore—the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS). The alliance, announced on 3 March, enables both institutions to gather their finest minds and best resources, strengthen the tertiary arts education pathways in Singapore, advance the nation’s creative talent pool, and raise the quality of the arts in the region.

○ NAFA received its first intake of students in August for the Bachelor of Education (Honours) in Instrumental & Vocal Teaching programme. Offered in collaboration with the Royal College of Music (RCM) in London, this programme is the first of its kind in Singapore and is designed for aspiring professional instrumental as well as vocal teachers and musicians in educational contexts.

○ NAFA was honoured to receive a generous gift of S$1.2 million from The Ngee Ann Kongsi on 7 October. This substantial donation established a scholarship fund to support NAFA students pursuing degrees in Fine Art, Design Practice, and Performance Making validated by UAL. The scholarship will be awarded to a total of 50 Singapore citizens and permanent residents across two- and three-year programmes for five student intakes from 2021.

● 2022:
○ In April 2022, NAFA celebrated a significant milestone with the prestigious Royal College of Music, London (RCM), commemorating 10 years of partnership for the Bachelor of Music (Honours) programme with a special concert.

○ The first international placement with the University of the Arts London (UAL) took place 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 programmes attend classes alongside UAL students.

○ NAFA embarked on a significant brand refresh. The rejuvenated brand was officially launched in 2023, celebrating the academy’s rich heritage while propelling it into a new era of growth as a founding member of the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS). The brand refresh was championed by a new logo that manifests the NAFA spirit of creativity, exploration, and resilience; a customised set of brand colours; and an inspiring brand manifesto.

○ With more than 3,600 course places taken up, our Centre for Lifelong Education (CLE) achieved unprecedented financial success. This result reaffirms CLE’s position as Singapore’s leading institute for continuing education and training in arts, design and media, a position it has held since 2005.

● 2023:
○ An organisational restructuring and new appointments in the Academic Division took effect on 1 January. A Faculty of Art & Design was established to encompass the School of Fine Art, School of 3D Design, School of Design & Media, and School of Fashion Studies. A new Faculty of Performing Arts was created to foster greater synergies and encourage more interdisciplinary collaboration in the performing arts, encompassing the School of Music, School of Dance, and School of Theatre. Further, a new Faculty of Interdisciplinary Practices was formed, comprising the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary School of Arts Management and School of Interdisciplinary Arts.

○ NAFA celebrated its 85^th anniversary, marking its achievements in advancing arts and design practice across the region and beyond. A year-long series of celebratory events, art exhibitions, and the launch of a refreshed brand that marks the academy’s next era of success and growth, unfolded. The concluding centrepiece of NAFA’s anniversary celebrations was its 85^th Anniversary Gala held on 2 September, which successfully raised more than S$1 million for the NAFA Development Fund. This significant commemorative event was graced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Mr Lawrence Wong.

○ NAFA announced at its 85^th Anniversary Gala that residency applications are available from 2024 for all Singaporean and Southeast Asian artists at NAFA’s studios in Cité internationale des arts, Paris. From 2024, NAFA will avail this unique experience to artists in Singapore and Southeast Asia across various disciplines including Fine Art, Curation, Photography, Design, Music, Dance, Theatre, Arts Management, and Literary Arts. Over the past 25 years, these studios have welcomed more than 70 artists.

○ As part of NAFA’s commitment to academic excellence, two new master’s degree programmes in collaboration with the Royal College of Music, London (RCM) were developed—Master of Composition and Master of Performance. The first intake of students for both programmes is in AY 23/24.

○ As a proud founding member of the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS), NAFA launched three new degree programmes under UAS—Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Biophilic Design, Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Contemporary Chinese Theatres, and Master of Fine Arts Fine Art. The first cohort of students will commence their studies in AY 2024/25.

○ Established by the School of Fine Art in 2023, the Living Archive of Contemporary Asian Art (LACAA) is a student-led resource centre and online repository committed to artistic knowledge and production in Southeast Asia. As part of the academy’s Fine Art undergraduate curriculum, students investigate the roles and contributions of selected artists by engaging with their art practice, with a focus on the artists’ voice and lived experiences.

○ The first international alumni chapter (Shanghai) was set up in May, adding to the existing eight local chapters. These alumni chapters play a vital role in fostering connections between the academy and its alumni. They take the lead in introducing valuable initiatives and activities for alumni members, serving as the representative voice of the chapter in NAFA’s communications with the alumni community.

○ The inaugural Arts and Design Practice Research Exchange (ADPRex) was held on 27 July. Spearheaded by NAFA’s Research Division, this first edition of ADPRex invited NAFA’s faculty to come together in an act of collective imagining. It was Southeast Asia’s first annual conference dedicated to practice research, positioning NAFA as the leading centre of arts and design practice research in the region.

○ After a hiatus of two years, NAFA successfully conducted an in-person graduation ceremony, conferring diplomas and degrees upon 663 graduates. This significant event brought together the classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022, celebrating their accomplishments from 28 September to 1 October. We also celebrated the graduation of several pioneer cohorts—the first NAFA Foundation Programme students who graduated from their Diploma programmes, as well as the Fine Art, Design Practice and Performance Making degree students from the UAL-validated programmes, and Instrumental & Vocal Teaching degree students from the RCM-validated programme.

○ At the 42^nd UOB Painting of the Year Awards Ceremony on 8 November, UOB’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Wee Ee Cheong, announced a five-year partnership with NAFA, providing art education and holistic support for three programmes—the UOB NAFA Artist Residence Programme, the UOB South-east Asian Arts Module, and the annual UOB-NAFA Southeast Asian Arts Forum.

○ The Arts Preschool at East Coast ceased its operations in December. Starting in January 2024, our new Arts Preschool at Luzerne Building will begin its operations. Similar to the Bencoolen campus, it was meticulously designed to support a comprehensive curriculum for our children. The Luzerne campus stands as a luminous haven for self-discovery and learning, with spaces strategically planned to align with our teaching and learning approach.

● 2024:
○ NAFA introduced the BertChoong Bursary Fund that will provide S$500,000 in support of students-in-need pursuing Diploma, Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes under the Faculty of Art & Design. This was officially announced at the Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) Lunar New Year celebration event on 22 February, graced by Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Ministry of National Development. Open to both local and international students, the bursary will commence from the academic year 2024, benefitting 220 students over 10 years.

○ A five-year strategic partnership with UOB (see also ‘2023’) was sealed on 1 April and formalised at the UOB-NAFA Agreement Signing Ceremony, held at the With All My Heart: Kit Tan 全心全意：陈月丽 exhibition, on 15 April. This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to nurturing artistic talent and appreciation of the arts within the region.

○ The School of Music celebrated its 40^th anniversary with a spectacular concert at the Victoria Concert Hall on 5 April, showcasing the diverse musical talents of our students.

○ In May, the School of Young Talents (SYT) kickstarted its 25^th anniversary ‘Seeds of Hope’ celebrations with a captivating performance by Junior Dance students that was graced by distinguished guest, Ms Jane Ittogi. The vibrant festivities also spanned across music, drama and visual arts in the year.

○ NAFA proudly joined the Design Alliance, a global network of 13 top design institutions, to advance the role of design in education.

○ As a beacon and gateway for Southeast Asian Arts, we established the Southeast Asian Arts Alliance – Respond, Collaborate, Harmonise (SEArch) Alliance, to lead a network of institutional partners in Southeast Asia. This Alliance, launched on 2 August at SEA Arts Forum 2024, serves as a platform to articulate strategic institutional programming and research engagement pertaining to Southeast Asia.

○ NAFA organised the Digitally Engaged Learning (DEL) Conference in collaboration with Parsons School of Design, PennState College of Arts and Architecture, Texas State University and University of the Arts London. This international conference explored the intersection of digital tools and art and design education in Higher Education, providing a dynamic space for creative and critical making.

○ Breaking away from the traditional corporate aesthetic, NAFA launched Create the World You Imagine. This creative video brings NAFA’s vibrant identity to life, showcasing our diverse cradle-to-grey programmes and courses through a whimsical and imaginative lens.