Designers & Design Studios
On the design profession in Singapore and its practitioners.
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20/20 (2004—2007)by Jackson Tan for DesignSingapore Council
Four showcases on Singapore's new generation of creative talents. ”Vision” (2004), “Under Construction" (2005), “Movement” (2006) and “Base“ (2007) were held in the city-state, and a 2006 edition traveled to the London Design Festival.
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100 ICONS: A Retrospective of 100 Singapore Icons (2010)by Jackson Tan for The Design Society
An exhibition of 100 iconic Singapore logo and brands held at The Plaza of the National Library Building.
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A Vision Realised (2013)by Justin Zhuang for The Design Society Journal No. 06
How the 20/20 design exhibition series curated by Jackson Tan gave shape to a vision of "Singapore design" to the community and the world.
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Andrew Gn: Fashioning Singapore and the World (2023)by Asian Civilisations Museum
Through five sections and over 100 representative works, this extraordinary retrospective exhibition explores Gn’s roots in Asia, cross-cultural expressions of Asian and Western art, and celebrates his distinctive aesthetics, craftsmanship, and global impact.
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Annual Advertising Award 1963 (1964)by Creative Circle Singapore
Collection of the best advertising produced in Singapore in 1963.
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Chinese Graphic Artists in Pre-war Singapore (2021)by Lee Chor Lin for BiblioAsia [July-September 2021]
Profiles of the various Chinese advertising art studios established in Singapore from the 1920s onwards.
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Class Acts: Tracing the Genesis of Singapore's Creative Scene in the '90s (2022—2023)by Stacking Stones
A documentary retracing how Singapore's creative industry came alive in the 1990s through the efforts of pioneers such as PHUNK, Theseus Chan, X’Ho and Slac Satu. It was accompanied by a display held at the National Design Centre featuring works from that era.
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Control Chaos: Redefining the Visual Cultures of Asia (2021)by Justin Zhuang for Thames & Hudson
A monograph celebrating 25 years of PHUNK, a graphic design quartet founded by Alvin Tan, Melvin Chee, William Chan and Jackson Tan in 1994.
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Creative Circle of Singapore Annuals (1980—)by Association of Accredited Advertising Agents of Singapore
Popularly known as the "Gong Show", this annual award is given out for the best advertising design in Singapore since 1980.
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Creative Cultures: The Singapore Showcase (2012)by Hjgher
Showcase of over 120 Singaporean creatives at the DesignTide Tokyo in Japan.
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点字无穷: 施学艺 (Berwin See Hak Gei ) 1961–2009 (2019)by Chin Kang Huay Kuan
A display of logos created by Singapore's "Logo King", Berwin See. It was organised as part of the Street of Clans creative festival.
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Design Journal: International Magazine for the Entire Design Portfolio (1990)by Art Center and Designers Association Singapore
A Korean design magazine featuring a special on Singapore design and portfolios of works by members of the Designers Association Singapore.
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Designer (2001—2008)by Designers Association Singapore
A magazine on the latest design trends and issues published by an organisation for professional designers in Singapore.
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Designworks: A Showcase of Members’ Works (1994)by Designers Association Singapore
A catalogue of works by designers who were part of an organisation for Singapore's design professionals.
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Drawn to Satire: Sketches of Cartoonists in Singapore (2023)by Lim Cheng Tju and Koh Hong Teng
A comic book about the lives of pioneering cartoonists in Singapore, including Tchang Ju Chi, Liu Kang, Shamsuddin H. Akib, Koeh Sia Yong, Lim Mu Hue, Morgan Chua, Dai Yin Lang and Kwan Shan Mei
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First International Design Forum · Singapore 1988 (1989)by Singapore Trade Development Board
Catalogue documenting the inaugural gathering of international designers by the Singapore government. The forum consisted of a conference and exhibition of national pavilions held at Raffles City Convention Centre from 19-23 October 1988
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INDEPENDENCE: The History of Graphic Design in Singapore since the 1960s (2012)by Justin Zhuang for The Design Society
The first book to documents the historical development of the graphic design industry in Singapore since the 1960s.
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Kwan Shan Mei: Drawing From The Heart 关山美:以心动笔 (2018)by Asian Festival of Children's Content and Lim Cheng Tju
A retrospective for Singapore's renowned illustrator of children's books and textbooks during the 1970s and 1980s. It was held in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Singapore Book Council at its Asian Festival of Children's Content.
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Looking at The Design Society Journal: Attempts of Design Authorship in Singapore, 2009–2013 (2016)by Gideon Kong in Conference Proceedings of 10th Conference of the International Committee for Design History & Design Studies
A study of The Design Society Journal, published by Singapore graphic design organisation The Design Society.
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全国实用美展 [National Commercial Art Exhibition] (1977)by 星洲美术广告协会 (Singapore Commercial Art Society)
Commemorative catalogue celebrating the 40th anniversary of this organisation founded for commercial artists in Singapore.
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New Wave: Singapore’s Contemporary Design Culture (2008)by Jackson Tan
Building off the 20/20 exhibitions, this showcase highlighted Singapore's new generation of creatives at the centre of creative communication in Japan.
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President*s Design Award (2006—)by DesignSingapore Council and Urban Redevelopment Authority
The highest national honours given out to Singapore design and designers since 2006.
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Relocating Centers and Peripheries: Transnational Advertising Agencies and Sinagpore in the 1950s and 1960s (2015)by Robert Crawford
The history of advertising’s global expansion has generally focused on the activities and experiences of American-based agencies. Within these conventional narratives, the “center” of advertising lies in New York. Deemed “peripheral,” markets such as Singapore scarcely feature. However, the transnational agencies operating in Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s challenge this narrative. By examining these agencies’ activities during this period, this article reveals that Singapore’s advertising industry has long been connected to global networks spanning Europe, Australia, Asia, and North America. Such connections not only offer an insight into the development of Singapore’s advertising industry, but they also cast broader questions about the degree to which historical interpretations of the growth of the global advertising industry have been informed by American perspectives.
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Singapore Design Golden Jubilee Award (2015)by DesignSingapore Council
Citations on 70 pioneers Singapore designers who were celebrated as part of the country's Golden Jubilee in 2015.
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SINGAPOREdge: Design Culture in Singapore (2005)by DesignSingapore Council
A showcase of 100 Singapore design talents as part of the Singapore Season in London.
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Singapore: Inside Out (2015)by Randy Chan for Singapore Tourism Board
A traveling showcase of Singapore’s art and design scene to position it as a creative city. It traveled to Beijing, London and New York City, before returning to Singapore. In 2017, an edition curated by Clara Yee was held in Tokyo.
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Singapore Supergarden (2008)by FARM for DesignSingapore Council and the Urban Redevelopment Authority
Singapore's national pavilion at the 11th Venice Architecture Biennale showcased its next generation multidisciplinary creative community.
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Signs of the Times (1995)by Lee Chang Siang for S.A.G. Books
A collection of logotypes and trademark designs from Singapore.
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Studio SML (2021—)by The Press Room
Interviews with contemporary designers and architects in Singapore.
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The Advertising Archive Singaporeby Allein Moore
A database of advertisements in Singapore since the 1800s
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The Design Society Journal (2010—2015)by The Design Society
A bi-annual magazine featuring profiles with Singapore designers and essays on its visual culture.
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The Lost Art of Hand-Drawn Ad Visualisationby Tan Choon Hong
A personal blog of a designer and artist who worked in various creative agencies since the 1970s.