Lianhe Zaobao explores what the first cohort of students of the University of the Arts Singapore — formed by an alliance between LASALLE College of the Arts and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts — are looking forward to.

832 graduates received their Diplomas, Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Master’s degrees at LASALLE’s 38th Convocation ceremony on 2 August.

Ponni Ashok, who graduated with a BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Textiles, created for her graduation collection a range of garments made using upcycled saris, inspired by the back of trucks in India.

Tamil Murasu spoke with Ponni ahead of LASALLE’s 38th Convocation ceremony to find out more about her design philosophy and her plans following graduation.

The new University of the Arts Singapore (UAS), formed by an alliance between LASALLE College of the Arts and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, is welcoming its first batch of undergraduates from a diverse range of academic and artistic backgrounds this year.

“The diversity of our incoming cohort and the high level of interest show that more Singaporeans are embracing the relevance of an arts and design education,” said LASALLE President, Professor Steve Dixon.

832 graduates from LASALLE College of the Arts received their Diplomas, Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Master’s degrees at a Convocation ceremony held at the Singapore Expo Convention & Exhibition Centre on 2 August. 16 graduates from the Class of 2024 also received the LASALLE Award for Academic Excellence, awarded to the top students in the cohort.

In FEMALE's July 2024 edition, graduates Sadiq Shah, Rynna Shazrina, Lucas Tan and Ponni Ashok speak about their final year projects, what they love about their disciplines and the lessons they have learned as young creatives.

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Image: FEMALE

The opening of Singapore’s new arts university is “powerfully symbolic” as the country attempts to shift away from focusing on academic achievements to embracing a more diverse range of skills, according to scholars.

BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Textiles graduate Rynna Shazrina believes that sustainable fashion should be a norm, and all designers should try their best to promote social, cultural and environmentally sustainable ideas and products.

For her graduation project, Tropical Threads, Rynna sought to push the boundaries of traditional upcycling norms, and deconstructed old fabrics and its threads to reconstruct them into new textiles.