Ms Low Sin Leng, Chairman of the NAFA Board;
Mrs Tan-Soh Wai Lan, President of NAFA, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Arts Singapore;
Distinguished guests, faculty members, parents and graduands,
Celebrating the Graduating Class
1. Good morning. It is a privilege to join you on this special occasion.
2. To the graduating Class of 2026, our warmest congratulations to all of you.
3. Today is a major milestone that reflects your hard work and perseverance. Behind every artwork, performance and composition, are years of practice, experimentation and determination.
4. In the process of honing your craft, you would have learnt not just new techniques; but also to observe the world with curiosity, to challenge existing ways of thinking, and to create work that carries unique meaning and value. This is no small feat.
5. Graduation marks an important transition. Your work will now reach even wider audiences and communities. We look forward to your contributions to shape Singapore's culture and identity in the years to come.
Arts shape who we are
6. Our unique and distinctive Singapore culture keeps our society connected. Despite our diverse social fabric and the changing aspirations of each generation, our common experiences, norms and values, anchor us to a shared Singaporean identity. The Arts reflects our culture and actively shapes it.
7. We see this in the work that you do every day. A graduating production – "Pulau Rindu" – created and performed by students from the Diploma in Theatre (English Drama) programme, invites the audience to reflect on what defines a city beyond its physical spaces.
8. Through its exploration of memory, belonging and identity, it reminds us that culture is shaped not only by the places we inhabit, but also by the shared experiences and stories that connect us. Thank you so much for sharing that with the wider audience in Singapore.
9. Another example is a final year project by Fitri Hailysya Binte Mohd Haidil in the Diploma in Graphic Communication programme – "Satu Atap" – where she created a gamified platform to encourage individuals to adopt sustainable everyday habits, as well as promote collective responsibility and community participation in sustainable practices.
10. It is a reminder of how design can go beyond aesthetics to shape shared values and behaviours for good.
11. These are all examples of what you, our graduating cohort, can achieve – to help us see things from each other's perspectives, bridge gaps between communities and shape where we can go together as a nation.
12. As NAFA graduands, you join a long line of artists and practitioners who have helped to define Singapore's cultural landscape and bring us to where we are today. Now, the baton is being passed on to you.
13. This year, 18 students are receiving the Best Graduate Award. Allow me to take a moment to share about two of them.
14. Isaiah Ong Yue Yong is the recipient of The Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal. A talented young cellist, Isaiah was the First Prize Winner of the 2026 NAFA Strings Competition and served as Cello Principal in numerous orchestra and ensemble performances in his time at NAFA. Beyond the concert hall, he also shared his love for music through outreach and educational programmes for schools and preschool children.
15. Isaiah reminds us that creative practice is not merely a medium for individual expression but it is also a powerful way to connect with and give back to the community. Congratulations, Isaiah.
16. Choo Yin Ler, Andriy is a recipient of the NAFA Chairman Award. As the student representative for the Diploma in Arts Management programme, Andriy also excelled academically, received multiple Dean's List Awards, took up student leadership roles and contributed to the curation and management of exhibitions and showcases.
17. He is exactly the kind of well-rounded, committed individual that this class and this industry needs and represents. Congratulations Andriy.
18. Today, we also celebrate the achievements of distinguished members of the NAFA alumni community.
19. NAFA alumni have shaped the cultural landscape not just through their own creative practice, but also giving back as mentors and educators, creating a virtuous cycle that sustains and grows the cultural ecosystem over time.
20. This year's recipients of the NAFA Distinguished Alumni Award, Yeo Hoe Koon and Tan Kee Sek, have each devoted decades to advancing Singapore's visual arts.
21. Hoe Koon is one of Singapore's most distinguished second-generation modernist artists whose works have been exhibited and collected internationally, while Kee Sek has played a significant role in preserving Chinese ink art, calligraphy and seal carving. We honour Hoe Koon and Kee Sek, who chose to mentor and pass on what they know to the next generation of artists.
22. We also recognise recipients of the NAFA Young Alumni Medal, Warren Wee Sheng' An, Dayn Ng Chee Yao and Celine Ng Mei Ling.
23. They work across a diverse range of disciplines – from digital art to music production and spatial design. But what they share is the passion for innovation and a commitment to advancing their respective fields while giving back to the creative community.
24. Together, they exemplify what a NAFA education can lead to and serve as an inspiration to today's graduands.
25. At this juncture, I would like to take a moment to invite our graduands to thank your parents, friends, educators, teachers – all the people who have made a difference in your journey to get to where you are today.
Closing
26. To our Class of 2026, as you step on to your next chapter, I hope you remain curious, continue to refine your craft and continue to shape the communities around you.
27. Singapore's cultural story is forever a work in progress, and I look forward to you joining the many Singapore artists who will help write its next chapter.
28. Congratulations once again. We are proud of every single one of you.
29. Thank you.