She-Hustles

Rei Minagawa

The quirky works of Un Studio can be seen at our Art Pop-Up, which is currently running til 2nd January next year. Our favourites include a series of ceramic Nike Dunks and a statue of Ultraman in an all-too-familiar zen pose. Rei is the artist behind these and she shares with us the little triumphs on her creative journey as well as the challenges that come with running your own independent practice.

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Preeti Nair

Adopting the moniker, Preetipls, Preeti champions social change and political reform with a unique brand of humour. She’s gregarious with an uninhibited online alter-ego, but in real life, the self-proclaimed introvert is soft spoken, mild and polite. She lets us in on her creative process and welcomes us into her safe space; her new home shared with her mother, brother - musician and activist, Subhas as well as their rescued mongrel, Maxi.

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Ng Si Ying

While the rest of our fast-paced world is sprinting towards digitalisation and efficiency, designer and rattan artist Si Ying has every intention to hone her craft at her own pace. Recreating and innovating with the traditional medium of rattan, Si Ying has rediscovered timeless weaving techniques and even used it often to repair broken objects, giving them new leases of life and turning imperfections into art. We spent a restful afternoon admiring her charming handmade pieces and learning about how she consciously champions the sustainability concepts of repair and mindfulness.

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Samantha Zhuang

It's a surprise when Samantha identifies as an introvert. Being the girl-boss of local woodworking studio The Table Guy, she’s often the friendly, gregarious face of their social media and has had to put herself outside her comfort zone. She’s clearly thriving though, having grown their following by leaps and bounds over a short span of a few years. We spent some time with her at their showroom as well as her light-filled walk-up in the Tiong Bahru estate.

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Elena Hasbun-Quek

Midway through our visit, Elena treats us to a beautiful impromptu piano performance, and it’s a testament to how diverse her artistic talents are. She shares with us the creative process behind Good Good Ceramics, which she runs with her husband See Hong, and their journey across Singapore, Tokyo and Los Angeles. Both architects by trade, their ceramics craft is mindfully reserved as a cathartic outlet. An intimate collection of their ceramic pieces and test chips of past clay firings are on display in their home, a loving documentation of their work.

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Ong Bee Yan

With an infectious zest for life and voice charged with vigour, Yan can move anyone into action. She talks us through her experiences running her cold brew business and becoming a sought-after model while being a grandmother of two. Our takeaway? There isn’t a right time for anything, just simply time and what we choose to do with it.

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Rei Minagawa

Preeti Nair

Ng Si Ying

Samantha Zhuang

Elena Hasbun-Quek

Ong Bee Yan