Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts brings courage and creativity to the fore with its brand refresh

This post is sponsored by NAFA.

Arts aspirants will realise their full potential and successfully chart their careers with the tenacity to follow their beliefs, grit to overcome adversity, and the courage to create. This was the theme behind Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts’ (NAFA) new “Courage to Create” brand mantra.

The NAFA family believes itself to be empowered to embrace its creative side, and bring its passion and ideas to life. With this in mind, it inspires its students to push the boundaries in what they can achieve so that they can make a positive change on the arts and the world.

Targeted at arts aspirants age 16 to 22, the global arts community, as well as NAFA staff and alumni; the brand refresh sees the creation of a new logo, a customised set of brand colours, and a new manifesto to convey its message across all communication channels. The rejuvenated brand identity is built upon a mission of inspiring growth and learning through the arts, to exemplify NAFA as a leading institution.

This was announced through a new brand manifesto video, highlighting the academy’s interdisciplinary art forms and diversity. The video depicts an art giant taking strides across different Asian cities and moving towards an era of continued growth, showcasing a multidisciplinary and multinational student cast. This is paralleled by these talents overcoming fears and challenges to achieve their goals.

‘Courage to Create’ as a source of creativity, strength and inspiration for the art and creative industries.

Disciplines such as Arts Management, Dance, Design, Fashion, Fine Art, Music and Theatre were captured in the video. As the giant in the video makes its impression on different Southeast Asian skylines, iconic Southeast Asian art pieces such as Chinese ink painting 16 Cantonment Road by Hong Sek Chern; woodblock print Reclining Beauties by Tay Chee Toh; and oil painting, NAFA at St.Thomas Walk by NAFA founding principal Lim Hak Tai, are imprinted on the cityscapes.

“Courage to Create” champions a unifying approach of courage, creativity, strength and belief that draws from NAFA’s heritage and values that have been developed over more than 85 years. Through the refresh, NAFA also aims to reinforce the importance of innovation, culture and lifelong learning to the arts industry, where arts can serve as a source of creativity, strength and inspiration, particularly during uncertain times.

“NAFA is a story of exploration, creativity, and resilience – this has stayed true to our core since our founding days,” said NAFA president Tan-Soh Wai Lan. She explained that as the world continues to evolve, and the role of creatives and artists are coloured by different hues, and as such, “it is important to remain gallant at heart and feisty in the face of challenges”.

“Paired with a future-ready curriculum and progressive faculty, NAFA affords students a holistic transformational journey, inculcating in-depth knowledge and artistic sensibilities, while paying homage to the academy’s rich heritage and culture,” she said. 

“We remain steadfast in our mission to inspire learning and growth through the arts, and this continues to be the heart of our brand. I strongly believe our refreshed image will continue to resonate with our community and inspire courage as they forge a bold new future,” she added. 

The rejuvenation of the NAFA brand coincides with the academy’s 85^th anniversary celebrations, and celebrates its legacy as a leading arts institution. 

A pioneer arts institution, NAFA first started back in 1938 with 14 Fine Art students. NAFA’s student population has continued to grow over the decades – with the academy nurturing over 15,000 full-time students, and 140,000 pupils from its part-time and junior courses to date. NAFA’s achievements are personified through its 13 recipients of the Cultural Medallion and 15 Young Artist Awardees in Singapore.

The academy continues to enrich the lives of students and communities through education and practice, while bringing its community into the modern-contemporary – creating new perspectives to inspire the next generation of creative change makers. NAFA is also a founding member of Singapore’s first arts university, the University of the Arts Singapore, as it looks to expand its influence globally.