Culture

Dr Siew Tuck Wah co-founded SOSD in 2012 and steered its transition to an institution of a public character (Credit: Mun Kong. )

Dr Siew Tuck Wah Continues Saving Our Street Dogs

For the fourth anniversary of a+, we reconnect with 12 advocates shaping Singapore's future. Although the former SOSD president stepped down this year, he ensures long-term sustainability through succession planning.

Samantha Soh-Tann founded The Radiant Spectrum in 2021. The curriculum is highly customisable to maximise each child’s learning potential (Credit: Mun Kong. )

Samantha Soh-Tann Widens Access To Music Education

For the fourth anniversary of a+, we reconnect with 12 advocates shaping Singapore's future. The Radiant Spectrum's founder and principal talks to us about changing perceptions and an inclusive hiring initiative.

The Kagan Sofa pairs generous proportions with refined solid oak legs and detailing (Credit: Castlery)

Tan France: Why Your Home Should Be Designed For Yourself, Not Instagram

The fashion designer on creating his first furniture collection, embracing his multicultural identity, and why the most beautiful homes are the ones that tell your story.

Paul Tan describes his work as building communities that are more resilient, more inclusive, and better equipped to thrive for generations to come (Credit: Mun Kong )

Why Philanthropy Must Go Beyond Charity, Says Paul Tan

For the fourth anniversary of a+, Community Foundation of Singapore CEO Paul Tan discusses why giving should create lasting change.

Human Judgment Matters In The Age Of AI, Say Singapore Artists

In a world where images, words, and ideas can now be generated almost instantly, knowing what’s worth producing matters more than ever.

CULTURE

‘Home Is A Foreign Place’, 1999, is a series of 36 minimalist woodblock prints by Zarina that translate Urdu words into abstract visual forms to express themes of home, memory, and displacement (Credit: STPI )

A Spool Of Thread Was The Most Powerful Work In “Zarina: Directions To My House”

“Zarina: Directions To My House” at STPI brings together more than 50 works by the celebrated artist. Curator Sarah Burney reflects on home, belonging, and a spool of thread.

CULTURE

Deep tech entrepreneur Jatin Kumar describes the Singapore he wants to live in as "one in which sustainability has become invisible, not because we stopped caring but because the right choice has become the norm." (Credit: Mun Kong)

Jatin Kumar On Why AI Can Build A More Sustainable Singapore

As part of our fourth anniversary series, Jatin Kumar discusses AI for materials, and why technology should solve real-world sustainability challenges in Singapore.

Rayner Loi believes a less wasteful Singapore is not one where people enjoy food less, but one where food is valued more appropriately (Credit: Mun Kong. )

Rayner Loi Reduces Food Waste In Commercial Kitchens Through AI

Lumitics' co-founder and CEO makes it possible by preventing it from happening in the first place.

Walter Leong has held senior positions in the private, public and non-profit sectors (Credit: Mun Kong. )

Walter Leong Oversees A Complex Mandate In Animal Welfare

SPCA Singapore's executive director navigates challenges in the face of declining adoption rates and mounting operational pressures.

Hong Khai Seng, President of Design Business Chamber Singapore, says design is increasingly recognised for solving complex problems (Credit: Mun Kong)

Hong Khai Seng On Building A Design-led Singapore

For the fourth anniversary of a+, we reconnect with 12 advocates shaping Singapore's future. Hong Khai Seng explains why design must evolve from a creative discipline into a strategic capability.

Wendy Choh also volunteers as a national classifier for athletes with intellectual impairments (Credit: Mun Kong. )

Wendy Choh Urges Parents Of Special Needs Children To Move Past Denial Early

The psychologist notes that acknowledging developmental differences immediately lets parents maximise formative learning windows and prevent the emotional toll of unaddressed struggles.

Antony Gormley invites us to “go inside” his new installation (Credit: Antony Gormley and Galleria Continua)

Why Antony Gormley Believes Sculpture Matters More Than Ever In The Age Of AI

From cardboard labyrinths to volcanic stone figures depicting the human body, acclaimed British artist Antony Gormley continues to reinvent sculpture as a visceral experience.

Hannu Lintu studied conducting with Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Academy (Credit: Chrispian Chan)

"I Want A Recognisable Sound": Hannu Lintu’s Vision For The Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Quantedge Music Director Hannu Lintu discusses his new artistic phase at Singapore Symphony Orchestra and his ambition to develop a distinctive, “recognisable sound”.

Greg Tan co-founded SG Assist after a difficult caregiving experience (Credit: Mun Kong. )

Greg Tan Empowers Seniors And Caregivers Through Gerontechnology

SG Assist’s co-founder and CEO clarifies that while technology enables SG Assist to operate at scale, it is not a substitute for human connection.

Firdaus D'Cruz also serves as a council member on the National Council Against Drug Abuse (Credit: Mun Kong. )

Firdaus D’Cruz Helms Education And Welfare Support

Pertapis Education and Welfare Centre’s CEO believes outcomes like family reunification are undervalued.

Li Chen, who has exhibited in cities such as Singapore, Paris, Beijing, and Venice, uses black to convey the concept of immanence. Attracted to the hue very early on, he invented an ink-black for his sculptures (Credit: Asia Art Center)

Sculptor Li Chen On Why Art Should Be Misunderstood

Best known for his monumental bronze sculptures, Li Chen discusses slowing down, Eastern aesthetics, humour, and how misunderstanding enriches art.

Koh’s bookbinding efforts have been applied to numerous books, including those exhibited in countries such as Canada, the UK, Japan, and Singapore (Credit: Loewe)

Adelene Koh Started Making Tiny Books As A Child—Now She's A Loewe Foundation Craft Prize Finalist

In her entry for this year’s Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, Singaporean bookbinder Adelene Koh, based in Tainan, transformed a hidden decorative feature in a book’s spine into a meditative work of art.

Fion Phua has been running her ground-up volunteer initiative for 40 years (Credit: Mun Kong. )

Fion Phua Restores Normalcy In The Lives Of The Less Privileged

Keeping Hope Alive's founder provides aid to the homeless, and supports elderly and vulnerable residents in one- and two-room rental flats.

Karen Wee held roles at various social service agencies following a career as an auditor (Credit: Mun Kong. )

Karen Wee Wants To Shift Eldercare To A Preventive, Relationship-centred Approach

Lions Befrienders’ executive director believes that the sooner we build relationships and social connectedness around seniors, the more likely we can prevent deeper issues later on.

Wood—lightweight, inexpensive, and globally accessible—allows Tadashi Kawamata to work anywhere (Credit: Florie Berger)

Artist Tadashi Kawamata And Ruinart Explore Nature Through Ephemeral Architecture

Paris-based Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata’s temporary wooden constructions offer fleeting yet powerful encounters with space, nature, and community.

“Tomás Saraceno: Interwoven” highlights the artist’s collective research-driven creative practice, and explores our symbiosis and entanglement with other life forms (Credit: Joaquín Ezcurra, courtesy Aerocene, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 by Aerocene Foundation)

New Taipei City Art Museum Rewrites Taiwan’s Contemporary Art Narrative

As New Taipei’s first public art museum marks its first anniversary, director Lai Hsiang-ling shares how engagement, research, and cultural exchange continues to drive its programmes.