Art has the ability to heal and emerging artists have the power to effect change through the act of creation – whether their medium is music, dance, multimedia, visual arts, design or technology. As Singapore emerges from the pandemic, LASALLE College of the Arts today celebrated the achievements of 810 graduates from the Class of 2022 at an in-person Convocation ceremony held at the Singapore Expo Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Second Minister for Education Dr Maliki Osman was the Guest of Honour and delivered a pre-recorded speech to inspire the graduates and spur them on to achieve greater heights in their careers.
Professor Steve Dixon, President of LASALLE, said, “Each of our graduates has exemplified excellence in their respective disciplines, and has gracefully risen to the challenges of the global pandemic. As a cohort, the class of 2022 rallied together with great fortitude, adapted quickly and supported one another to see them through to this day. Today’s Convocation is a testament to what art can achieve, and to the courage and resilience of our graduates. I am very proud of all of them. I know they will continue their exceptional work, and I can’t wait to see them on a global stage.”
Throughout their time at LASALLE, students have been nurtured with a meticulous curriculum that encourages them to think critically and to take risks, resulting in thought-provoking, innovative work despite the challenges that arose during the pandemic. For some graduates, their work is now gaining recognition in Singapore and even beyond, as demonstrated below.
This year, several students are recognised for their excellence, including Ann-Sophie Maria Müller (BA(Hons) Fashion Media and Industries), who is the 2022 recipient of the prestigious McNally Award for Excellence in the Arts, LASALLE’s valedictorian award.
As a wife and mother, Ann-Sophie relocated to Singapore from Germany, drawn by LASALLE’s unique combination of fashion and business programmes. Over three years Ann-Sophie has transformed her creative skills, attaining exceptional academic achievement. She also attained notice for an award-winning project, titled PHANTASM, a digital exhibition reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of fashion. For her final year project BEYONDLABEL, she developed a data-driven fashion styling application that is powered by Artificial Intelligence and other technology, and that seeks to place community at its core.
Ann-Sophie comments, “When I couldn’t find my desired fashion and business programmes in Europe, LASALLE’s progressive vision was inspiring and it has been a pleasure calling Asia my home. Over the last three years, I have enjoyed the cultural diversity, the innovation and the creative push that I needed to find my design personality. As creatives, we sometimes forget that while art is fundamental, monetising it is equally important. With BEYONDLABEL I had the opportunity to put this learning into practice, which in the future hopefully allows me to fulfil my goal of sharing the success and giving back to the community.”
Another inspiring interdisciplinary graduate is Joanne E-Lynn Lim, who is awarded First Class Honours in BA(Hons) Fine Arts and is receiving the LASALLE Award for Academic Excellence. A mature student with a young family, Joanne is known for uplifting fellow students and faculty members with her passion and desire for continuous exploration. At the age of 34, Joanne, who also possesses a law degree, applied to LASALLE to pursue her curiosity for the world of ever-evolving art. During her final year, Joanne has curated an interdisciplinary exhibition, Gentle Resistance, which dives into the impact of the increased surveillance and tracing that was brought about by new technologies during the pandemic.
BA(Hons) Film graduate, Nuryn Adryana, who is graduating with First Class Honours, has showcased her exceptional film production skills in a series of documentary and short films that she wrote and directed. In August 2022, Nuryn was invited as a guest to premiere her film Duka Lara, at the DokuFest XXI in Kosovo, as part of their International Shorts Film Competition Programme. Nuryn is also this year’s recipient of the Anugerah Cemerlang MENDAKI 2022 Award, from Yayasan MENDAKI, which is presented annually to celebrate and acknowledge Muslim Singaporean students who have performed exceptionally well academically.
Niranjan Pandian, who is graduating with a BA(Hons) Music, is a multi-award winning musician who is an exponent for bamboo flutes. Celebrated for his versatility and cross-cultural collaborations with fellow musicians from across the globe, Niranjan has performed at local and international festivals, and is the music director of the award-winning Indo-Asean Contemporary ensemble, Brahmastra. His thirst for musical excellence has led to continuous learning: he is currently receiving advanced training from Maestro Amit Nadig (India), Grammy nominee Pundit Shashank Subramanyam, and Rit Xu.
