Singapore Students Prize 2026

These charcoal portraits explore the way emotions can distort our perceptions. Under distress, our worldviews are often twisted impulsively to form unjustified conclusions, bending simple situations into dramatic moments of internal chaos where we hold ourselves in fear. Fisheye warps in the odd number of three perspectives convey this swirled, unbalanced view. The ominous monochromatic colour scheme and the rough, torn paper textures further contribute to the chaotic effect of distress.

Fading Connection depicts my grandma in the foreground gazing at the baking tools we once shared, while my smaller figure is further in the background, symbolising the distance caused by my change. I painted her in layered acrylics to convey her warmth, while I fragmented my figure and furniture into flat planes with cooler muted tones to suggest disengagement and movement. The background shifts from warm to dull grey-blue, mirroring my figure’s disengagement and emphasising the disconnected mood.

This spherical artwork presents Amber, my sun conure, as a luminous beacon of light. From crystal orbs to brush-like feathers and finally, her definite form, this transition aims to reflect her vitality. Modelling paste was applied mainly to her wings to not only add tactile texture, but to also emphasise the distinct feature of feathers. Inspired by Salvador Dalí’s Galatea of the Spheres, the composition incorporates a one-point perspective on the left and the motif of orbs to convey motion, depth, and transformation. The yellow crystal orbs – symbolic of optimism and cheerfulness – emerge out of Amber’s wings and tail. This thus showcases how her presence radiates and spreads positivity. Their gradual enlargement and three-dimensional relief engage viewers by drawing attention to the largest orb first, followed by Amber. Conversely, Amber’s lively glow is complemented against a cool-toned background with soft blue-purple spheres and blue-green fogs. They signify tranquility and comfort. Hence, the whole piece suggests that while Amber introduces immense joy, she additionally offers a balanced and subtle sense of peace. To conclude, this heartfelt tribute manipulates the interplay of light and colour to capture how her vibrant spirit and simple charm brought me emotional solace amidst life’s darkest moments.

This painting envisions a future where Venice lies submerged beneath rising sea levels, a haunting reminder of the devastating impact of climate change. Inspired by the work of artist David Ambarzumjan, I employed strong visual contrasts to emphasise the stark difference between the vibrant Venice we know today and the desolate future that awaits if we remain indifferent. The artwork serves as a call to action, urging viewers to recognise the consequences of neglecting our planet. As a small island nation, Singapore too faces similar threats should sea levels continue to rise. Through this piece, I hope to inspire greater environmental awareness and a shared sense of responsibility.

This acrylic painting explores the theme of coexistence between humans and animals. In our daily lives, we often consume meat without reflecting on how it is sourced or the conditions in which animals are raised. In industrial farming, many animals endure harsh environments, suffering further during transportation and slaughter, all to become part of our next meal. Through this work, I express my personal feelings about industrial farming by using irony. I have reversed the roles of humans and animals: here, humans are the ones being farmed and slaughtered, while pigs are the consumers browsing supermarket aisles. Our organs are packaged neatly on shelves, as the pigs pick and choose what to eat. However, the painting also carries a note of hope. With advances in technology, the development of plant-based meat offers an opportunity for balance and compassion. By embracing both real and plant-based meat, we can move toward a more sustainable coexistence. Like the pig in my artwork, we should strive for this balance, choosing to consume consciously and responsibly.

“Surfacing” explores nostalgia and childhood while confronting the harsh realities of adulthood. It shows a boy submerged in a bathtub filled with rubber ducks—symbols of innocence—whose fading colors reflect how memories change over time. Hands marked with price tags pull him down, symbolizing adult pressures and societal expectations. The contrasting colors emphasize the clash between innocence and responsibility, inviting reflection on the struggle to maintain childhood wonder while surfacing into adult life and its demands.

I created this surrealistic landscape to reflect who I am. The open window in the foreground shows my warmth and openness, while the feathers beneath it suggest a free and easy-going spirit. The rooster stands for confidence and energy, how I try to face the world each day. But the brains as clouds in the background shows looming anxiety and worry. This artwork was inspired by salvador dali and Magritte’s surreal settings.

What parts of yourself remain unspoken, unseen, or unclaimed?

Inspired by Carl Jung’s idea of the Personal Unconscious and the Shadow, the parts of the psyche where repressed memories, instincts, and hidden impulses reside, this work traces a descent into the deeper self. A tiny lone shadow representing me steps downward into the depths of my psyche. Turbulent waves of the unconscious crash against a deconstructed stone monument, while my face remains fixed against the raging storm and sea. Dramatic lighting and perspective heighten the tension between curiosity and fear, revealing the forces that move beneath the surface of identity.

Although being in transit is similar to being in a liminal space, I want to represent it differently; instead of it being void and empty, it is vibrant and densely populated. Being in transit should not be dull and suffocating. The main subject matter is seen resting on an overhead bridge on a road, suggesting the state of being at rest when one is moving. The everyday items are juxtaposed with the city landscape, adding a touch of familiarity and ‘respite’ that comes with the intermediary state of being in transit in this productivity-driven metropolis.

If you swallow your emotions to be more palatable, it will eat away at you.

‘Unpacking’ is set in a dimly-lit miniature dollhouse, symbolic of the nostalgic and comforting nature of past memories. The three figures in the artwork portray a transition from one’s reluctance to face past fears and memories, to slowly becoming willing to reflect on experiences and heal any past wounds—to ‘organise’ one’s memories to move forward in life, similar to the figure’s actions or organising the furniture in the house. The vibrant yellow patterns inspired by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt, along with fumes of fluffy clouds, drift into the dingy dollhouse from the window frame, signifying healing and acceptance with a sense of hope and warmth. Through this work, the artist invites the audience to reflect on their own journey of reconciling with the past as an essential step toward growth and self-understanding.

Out of Origin is inspired by scientific processes that lead to the formation of our identity. Through visual representations of DNA replication, mitosis, meiosis and more, it reflects how identity begins even before birth, inherited from our ancestors. Through a dream-like depiction of cells, viewers are able to ponder and witness the intricacies of biology. How every detail is carefully made, from our race to our gender, all predetermined within us.

This acrylic painting addresses the tension and cycles of stress through using brilliant colors on a muted backdrop. Venus flytraps, shoes, and flowers signify emotional struggle, whilst rough lines and circular patterns depict life’s constant challenges. The work is inspired by Vladimir Kush’s Metaphorical Realism, which uses surreal natural images, dynamic shapes, and balanced composition to portray the cyclical and developing nature of stress. The piece also explores the topic of contradiction: soft, vivid flowers mix with deadly plants; geometric patterns interrupt the organic roots and the cheerful color scheme contrasts with the underlying discomfort. These visual contrasts reflect the internal tension between external peace and inner turbulence, demonstrating how stress frequently disguises itself with beauty or calmness. This duality enables viewers to investigate the emotional contrasts that we all experience but may conceal beneath the surface.

Metamorphosis highlights the constant changes that we go through in life. Like how a larva sheds its skin, and how a moth breaks free from its cocoon, these changes shape our growth and evolution.

The artist is portrayed as two figures with their hands briefly touching, similar in appearance but different in essence. The figure facing away from the audience symbolises the past, looking directly at the figure facing towards the audience with an incomplete torso, symbolising a self that is work in progress. Her eyes are covered by a moth with eyes on its wings, and this is a reference to the third eye, which symbolises enlightenment. Behind them, the wallpaper depicting Garden of Eden peels away, revealing another layer of wallpaper, of a more realistic sky. At its core, metamorphosis is a work that celebrates our constant shedding of limiting beliefs and breaking down of confining walls.

Undeveloped Hours’ depicts my teenage self waiting at a round dinner table in my demolished childhood home in China, surrounded by inverse-colored figures of my grandparents and great-grandparents. Using an ‘undeveloped film’ aesthetic that splits realistic and inverted color schemes, the painting visualizes how past and present occupy the same psychological space. Empty outlined dishes and deliberately incomplete areas reinforce themes of loss, absence, and the impossibility of reunion. The work explores immigrant memory, cultural displacement, and the stubborn persistence of waiting for what can never return.

An ancient philosopher said, “Once, I dreamt I was a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was myself. Soon I woke up, and I was veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man”. This story suggests that the distinction between dream and reality is uncertain, and our sense of self can be blurry. Just as the philosopher’s waking self felt real, so did the butterfly’s reality in his dream. This questions: How can you be sure that what you perceive as “waking reality” is not just another, more elaborate dream? I wanted my painting to capture that sense of blurred reality, while showing how identity can change. The big strawberry represents the dreamer, and the smaller strawberries are the fragments of life, like experiences and memories, that make up the dream. The balloons are the dreamer’s emotions, floating freely in the unknown depths of the dream. Through this artwork, I want to encourage people to accept fluidity of identity rather than search for a fixed, true self.

Family photo is a surrealistic recreation of a childhood family photo. It aims to communicate a strong feeling of nostalgia and wistful affection for my childhood by repainting my siblings and I in an unnatural pink colour to express a dreamlike, idyllic perception of the past, with a blur effect added to my figure to convey the now unfamiliar image of childhood happiness. In the background is a shelf filled with teddy bears and paper cranes to express the purity and innocence of this happiness.

Photograph of the moon. Contrast of scale layered with tones of white on a deep black reflect the relationship between the known and unknown.

My artwork depicts a young girl seated on a grassy hill, gazing at a distant castle illuminated by the sunset. This scene represents my perspective of the world as a place that still holds beauty and childlike wonder. Growing up is something that everyone goes through, and many people will lose their ability to appreciate the true beauty of the world. I wanted to portray that even as we grow older, there’s still magic around us if we take the time to notice it. The warm colours of the sunset express optimism and imagination, while the stormy clouds at the edges symbolise the challenges and changes that come with growing up. Yet, the castle still stands tall and majestic, symbolising my belief that wonder and curiosity can endure even as I grow older. Through this painting, I aim to convey not only how I see the world visually but also how I feel it – a comforting, inviting place where dreams, reality, and growth can coexist.