Self-discovery through the arts

Alongside studies, some of our students have discovered how art introduces something into the realm of their daily lived experiences. Here, they share how their passions in different art forms have made their lives more vibrant, and how artistic expression has enriched them and helped them to learn more about themselves.

 

Oscar PAN Shih-Yu

Oscar, Year 4, Life Sciences, enjoys writing Chinese calligraphy and studying the histories behind them. His proudest achievement is the display of his Heart Sutra piece at Hvala teahouse at CHIJMES. While the process was a challenging and a time-consuming one - there were six iterations, some of them stemming from missing or incorrectly written  characters - Oscar derived much fulfilment along the way.

He says, “Writing Chinese calligraphy is my way of coping with academic stress and achieving school-life balance…Calligraphy is not only a form of personal expression but also an embodiment of Chinese wisdom.”

 

Damien CHEW

For Damien, a Year 2 Pharmaceutical Science Major at the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS), it was a serendipitous encounter with the double bass that sparked his passion - he was asked to play the instrument in secondary school due to his height. He grew to love it because of its versatility in numerous settings such as orchestras, bands and jazz and its quintessential role in supporting the entire orchestra.

The Vice President of the NUS Symphony Orchestra says, “I see music as a way to express myself. It brings me a lot of joy to be able to play pieces that I really love.”

 

Nicole WONG

The elaborate makeup and costume-making behind cosplay, and the opportunity to dress up as her favourite characters, piqued Year 2 CHS student Nicole when she started exploring ways to enrich her interests. Nicole, who majors in Life Sciences, and minors in Psychology and Forensic Science, had the privilege of giving back to society when she was selected to cosplay for a charity event organised by volunteer cosplay group Pause For A Cause in collaboration with Make-A-Wish Singapore, which grants the wishes of children with critical illnesses.

She says, “The cosplay community in Singapore is surprisingly large and I had the opportunity to make many new friends and collaborate with skilled photographers. This hobby improved my technical skills like crafting and helped me break out of my shell.”

 

LIEW Chet Ming

When Chet Ming, a Year 2 Chemistry student who minors in History and Bioinformatics joined CHS, he continued pursuing his passion in Chinese orchestral music and is currently on the Executive Committee of the NUS Chinese Orchestra (NUSCO). He was involved in this year’s NUS Arts Festival, where NUSCO collaborated with NUS Chinese Drama for the first time to produce Essentially Macbeth, a contemporary take on Shakespeare’s MacBeth that explores what success, ambition and fulfilment mean to today’s generation. As Music Director for the Raffles Hall Musical Production, Chet Ming also led the hall’s flagship musical production last year and will lead the Combined Hall Ensemble Concert performance this year.

He says, “I get to work alongside many talented musicians from different backgrounds. This gives me interdisciplinary exposure to different art forms in both the technical and artistic aspects…It is also a comforting getaway from academic stress.”