NAFA CONVOCATION 2023: CELEBRATING COURAGEOUS CHANGEMAKERS

• First cohorts from our degree programmes with the University of the Arts London, and the Royal College of Music's Bachelor of Education (Honours) in Instrumental & Vocal Teaching programme. Additionally, the pioneer batch of students from our NAFA Foundation Programme will be graduating from the diploma programmes.
• The academy will also award its first The Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal (Degree).

The Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) is proud to celebrate the exemplary achievements of 751 graduands who will don the academic regalia at NAFA Convocation 2023. Held across two days from 28 to 29 Sep 2023 (Thu and Fri), the academy will see its pioneer NAFA Foundation Programme cohort graduate from the diploma programmes, having successfully completed the bridging course prior, alongside students from various programmes held in partnership with distinguished universities.

For the first time, the academy will award its first The Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal (Degree) along with The Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal (Diploma), Embassy of Peru Award, NAFA Chairman Award, NAFA President Award and the Wu Tsung Kan Book Prize to outstanding graduands who have displayed NAFA’s values of creativity, exploration and resilience. To date, over 16,000 artists and creatives have graduated from the academy. In recognition of her achievements in the music industry and philanthropic initiatives, Indonesia pop superstar Isyana Sarasvati will be presented the NAFA Distinguished Alumni Medal.

NAFA President, Mrs Tan-Soh Wai Lan, encouraged graduands to embrace their learnings, experience and values from their time at the academy that will keep them grounded as they journey forward, “As trailblazers, our graduands have set a precedent for excellence, becoming an inspiration for future generations of students. Their accomplishments also speak volumes about NAFA’s continuous commitment to expanding and offering diverse and innovative educational pathways."

Outstanding Graduand Profiles
Lee Wen Xiang from Bachelor of Education (Honours) in Instrumental & Vocal Teaching will be receiving the first The Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal (Degree), recognising his all-round achievements in the music scene as a flautist and music conductor. A passionate advocate for music and music education, Lee has performed together with Singapore Wind Symphony and Orchestra V (Vocalise) at various concerts and festivals. In 2022, he was appointed as a conductor for Yuhua Primary School Angklung & Kulingtang Ensemble and his original composition, Flame Shadow, was showcased at 2022’s Singapore Youth Festival (SYF). Lee conducted the Catholic Junior College Symphonic Band at SYF 2023 and continues to work with young musicians to hone their artistry.


Play Date was awarded Gold under the Student category in the Young Glory, a prestigious advertising competition.

Manmohan Agastya from Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Design Practice has shown strong leadership and promise throughout his studies, receiving numerous scholarships to pursue his degree with NAFA. Most recently, Agastya placed seventh internationally at Young Glory, a global competition recognising young talents. He has also taken on internships with pretigious agencies like AMC Asia, where he applied his skills in the industry. Recognising his all-round achievements to the academy and his community, Agastya will be presented with the Embassy of Peru Award.


Saccharine Rush by Quek Yu Tong was inspired by the concept of adrenaline and maximalism.

Receiving the Wu Tsung Kan Book Prize is Fashion Designer Quek Yu Tong (Guo Yutong), who has created unforgettable looks in each collection. Quek has placed multiple times on the Dean’s list, and also received the NAFA Entry Merit Award (Diploma) in 2021. Her talent was highlighted at exhibitions such as the Fashioning Batik exhibition at Asian Civilisations Museum, and Flagship Genius Featuring Ayutthaya II. Most recently, she was featured in the September issue of Vogue Singapore and Female Magazine for her maximalist fashion collection, Saccharine Rush.

Fine Art graduand Ang Zhi Yan began her arts education in the NAFA Foundation Programme (NFP) as part of the pioneer cohort, where she gained a solid grounding in the fundamentals in her chosen field of the arts. Demonstrating her passion and dedication to artmaking, she and her groupmates secured funding from Art Outreach Singapore to create and exhibit their work, Kawan-kawan Collective at Gillman Barracks that ran from 26 August to 3 September 2023. To better capacitate her passions and advance her capabilities, Ang joined the NAFA Talent Development Programme (NTDP), which paired her with artist-mentor Kimberly Shen, who offered guidance with knowledge insights through the lens of Shen's expertise. Ang is a testimony to the success of the NFP as a leap forward into tertiary arts education and the NTDP for uncovering young changemakers in the arts. She has excelled in her diploma studies, and will be awarded The Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal (Diploma) for her strong academic performance and leadership qualities.


Terreau, an educational kit that teaches both children and adults about food waste habits, came in as 2^nd Runner Up in IKEA Southeast Asia Young Designer Awards 2021.

Diploma in Design (Object and Jewellery) graduand Celine Wirahady will be conferred the NAFA President Award for her achievements, including her IKEA Young Designer Award (2021) where her group emerged as a 2^nd Runner Up. Wirahady’s specialisations go beyond jewellery, having designed stages for the production of Gelar Budaya’s 2023, and The Sainou Story: Into the Forest (2020). Wirahady is an exceptional student and designer with heart and courage; traits that will propel her forward as she ventures into the world of art and design.

NAFA Distinguished Alumni Medal
Alumnus and award-winning Indonesian recording artiste Isyana Sarasvati will also be presented the NAFA Distinguished Alumni Medal. In 2013, Isyana completed the Diploma in Music Performance and later graduated with a Bachelor of Music (Honours), received the Embassy of Peru Award in 2015. She debuted with the album, Explore! in 2015 and had two subsequent releases, Paradox (2017) and Lexicon (2019) -- all of which achieved major commercial success. Notably, she was featured in Forbes Indonesia's 30 Under 30 for two years in a row and later she established her own record label, REDROSE RECORDS. Predicating on her impressive educational background and achievements in the music industry, Isyana was one of the judges and coaches on The Voice Indonesia 2019, The Voice Kids Indonesia 2021, and The Voice: All-Stars 2022.

In addition to her musical career, Isyana is also actively involved in social outreach programmes such as ‘Abuse is not love’, a global initiative with the aim of combating violence in relationships with couples. She also regularly participates in charity events around Indonesia.

Expressing gratitude
A new segment at this year’s Convocation ceremony will allow each award recipient to honour a NAFA faculty member and a former school teacher, who have played pivotal roles in their artistic journey. This new initiative highlights the profound impact of educators in shaping our graduates' journeys and encapsulates the essence of gratitude, connecting the past, present, and future of education. The former teacher from the recipient’s Secondary or High School, Institute of Technical Education, Polytechnic, Junior College or an equivalent institution, will have a $2,000 grant established in his/her name. The honoured teacher will be able to nominate a student from their school to receive the $2,000 grant upon his or her successful admission to NAFA.

ANNEX 1 – NAFA Convocation 2023 Schedule
ANNEX 2 – Key Visual
ANNEX 3 – Profile of Award Winners
ANNEX 4 – Background Information