Beyond Print

Koh Kai Ting and Aw Boon Xin
Gundam Crab, 2025
3D print and acrylic on polyester mesh, mounted on wooden panel
101 x 150 cm

The Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Singapore proudly presents Beyond Print, an exhibition exploring the transformative power of printmaking across art, design, and product creation. Held from 12 March (Wed) to 20 April (Sun) 2025 at the Lim Hak Tai Gallery, Beyond Print features over 18 recent works by NAFA artists and designers, showcasing the versatility of print—from precision fine art prints to innovative applications in graphic and product design.

The exhibition embraces a range of technical and conceptual approaches: from traditional printmaking categories such as etching, lithography, screen printing, risograph and typsetting, to contemporary methods that revitalise the possibilities of print. In addition to contemporary works, Beyond Print will also display NAFA’s print archive and letterpress collection, which includes rare Chinese types, a newspaper mould of Sin Chew Jit Poh and printing blocks of wedding invitations and everyday products salvaged from local printing shops dated from between the 1950s and 1980s.

Ms Sabrina Long, Dean of the Faculty of Art and Design at NAFA, emphasises the significance of preserving this art form stating, “Printmaking is a timeless and versatile art form with a rich history that spans centuries. It is the foundation of art and design, deeply rooted in craftsmanship yet constantly evolving through innovation. As a leading arts institution, we have a responsibility to preserve Singapore’s letterpress heritage while also pushing the boundaries of print for future generations."

Beyond Print reflects NAFA’s spirit of exploration, underscoring the academy’s commitment and dedication to fostering regional arts through leading research, practice and development.

Key Artworks
Marie Toh Shu Zhen Peel My Skin 2025 Risograph 30 x 42 cm each, a series of 3	Peel My Skin is a three-part risograph illustration that explores themes of transformation and vulnerability. The work shows a woman lying down, her body sprawled like a landscape, with snakes winding around her. As the illustration progresses, a small face starts to peer through the woman’s back. This series hopes to reflect the painful yet liberating process of shedding old layers, confronting inner truths and embracing change; while yearning for what lies beyond the panels.
Nathan Tan Yew Wai Float to Sink and Repeat… (Expanded) 2023 Silkscreen on wood 203.8 x 56.8 cm	In this series of laser-cut screenprints, Tan explores Singapore's fresh waterways through the perspective of discarded objects. These objects—waste introduced into our water bodies through human activity, whether intentional or accidental—serve as symbols of human “feeding” that reflect our impact on nature's ecosystem. The series presents an imagined viewpoint based on the artist's underwater documentation and observation, capturing each object’s journey from floating on the surface to complete submersion. By inviting viewers into these unfamiliar underwater dimensions, the artist seeks to provoke a reflection on the consequences of water pollution, both Nature and water quality that is essential to daily life.
Gary Goh The Dress as Interface: Exploring the Intersection of Human, Machine and Fashion 2024 White column polyester georgette strap dress with multicoloured sublimation print	This proposal explores the intersection of human creativity and AI in fashion print design. By integrating external variables and AI algorithms to influence specific design components, the process introduces unpredictability and generates innovative outcomes beyond traditional methods that rely heavily on personal decisions. With an unbiased and exploratory approach to creative output, the concept is applied through the use of overlapping images, akin to the layering techniques in screenprinting. The resultant composition is a blend of human and machine-generated elements; abstract with dynamic variations represents this hybridized model. The project challenges the limits of this model and provokes critical reflection on technology's ability to replicate or replace human input in the creation of fashion prints.
Koh Kai Ting and Aw Boon Xin Gundam Crab 2025 3D print and acrylic on polyester mesh, mounted on wooden panel 101 x 150 cm	This proposal explores the intersection of human creativity and AI in fashion print design. By integrating external variables and AI algorithms to influence specific design components, the process introduces unpredictability and generates innovative outcomes beyond traditional methods that rely heavily on personal decisions. With an unbiased and exploratory approach to creative output, the concept is applied through the use of overlapping images, akin to the layering techniques in screenprinting. The resultant composition is a blend of human and machine-generated elements; abstract with dynamic variations represents this hybridized model. The project challenges the limits of this model and provokes critical reflection on technology's ability to replicate or replace human input in the creation of fashion prints.
Hans Chew Zi Yang Ghost of a Garden 2024 Silkscreen 50 x 70 cm	Ghost of a Garden references a story of an elderly woman who mourns the loss of her beloved garden to institutional powers. Fragments of the story in the original article are silkscreened onto porcelain shards and arranged on an organic terracotta form. The combination of found object and gardening apparatus suggests the temporality of such acts of agency and resembles a form that have ceased to exist within the boundaries of our ever-changing environment.