NAFA receives S$1 million Lu Foundation gift to back emerging artists
A new ten-year grant at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts will support student travel, mentorship and special projects for alumni and faculty.
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), a founding member of the University of the Arts Singapore, has received a S$1 million pledge from the Lu Foundation to establish the Lu Foundation Genesis Grant, supporting talent development across the institution.
The gift will be disbursed over ten years at S$100,000 a year from financial year 2026/27, giving NAFA long-term support for programmes designed to nurture emerging artists and creative practitioners.
NAFA said the grant will strengthen two key initiatives: Special Projects and the NAFA Talent Development Programme (NTDP) overseas travel grant.
Special Projects supports NAFA alumni and faculty in developing high-calibre work that contributes to Singapore’s arts and design landscape and beyond. Since launching in 2021, it has backed projects including Ricky Sim’s immersive interdisciplinary performance exhibition at Singapore Night Festival 2025 and Yeo Chee Kiong’s site-specific sculpture project Teleporting Juming 2024 for the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei.
The NTDP, meanwhile, provides selected students with mentorship, industry exposure and wider development opportunities. Its overseas travel grant supports up to 80 students each year, helping them take part in festivals, masterclasses, competitions and other learning opportunities in cities and countries including London, Seoul, Hong Kong, Austria and Italy.
NAFA highlighted current student Megan Tee as one example of the programme’s impact. A participant in the NTDP, she has been selected as an ambassador for the Singapore Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale after previously completing an internship with National Gallery Singapore and working closely with her NTDP mentor.
‘Behind every opportunity for a young artist is the belief that their creativity can make a meaningful difference to culture and society,’ said Mrs Tan-Soh Wai Lan, President of NAFA, UAS. ‘We are truly grateful to the Lu Foundation for their generosity and vision with the Lu Foundation Genesis Grant that strengthens our talent development programmes for the NAFA community.’
Mr John Lu, Chairman of the Lu Foundation, said: ‘We are pleased to partner with NAFA in nurturing the next generation of creative talent through the Genesis Grant. We hope this support will empower students to explore new ideas, develop their artistic voices and contribute meaningfully to the cultural landscape of Singapore and beyond.’