Up-Front with Front and Off-Centre
Up-Front is a podcast where hosts speak with guests about their creative practices. The first season focuses on entrepreneurs in Singapore and how they get things done. The show is produced by Front & Off-Centre, a cultural agency offering communications, curatorial and programming services. It is co-hosted by Director Nadya Wang and Curatorial Lead Ian Tee.
Episodes
Patrick Flores | S5E5
Today’s guest is Patrick Flores. Patrick is Chief Curator of National Gallery Singapore, and the Director of the Philippine Contemporary Art Network. Among his publications are Painting History: Revisions in Philippine Colonial Art (1999); Past Peripheral: Curation in Southeast Asia (2008); Art After War: 1948-1969 (2015); and Raymundo Albano: Texts (2017). He co-edited The Modern in Southeast Asi
Joshua Comaroff | S5E4
Today’s guest is Joshua Comaroff. Joshua is a designer and cultural geographer, and Assistant Professor in Architecture at National University of Singapore. He has published writing about architecture, urbanism, religion, and politics, with an Asian focus. In particular, his research focuses upon the effect of material and immaterial practices in the experience of the city, and the affective and i
Peter Lee | S5E3
Today’s guest is Peter Lee. Peter is an independent scholar, and the Founding Curator of the NUS Baba House – a historical house museum managed by the National University of Singapore. He is the host of three seasons of The Mark of Empire, presented by Channel NewsAsia. In this episode, host Nadya Wang speaks with independent historian and curator Peter Lee about his lifelong appetite for historic
Honor Harger | S5E2
Today’s guest is Honor Harger. Honor is a curator, cultural strategist and institutional leader with more than two decades of experience directing organisations at the intersection of art, science and emerging technology. She is the Director and Chief Curator of Futures Imagined, a consultancy and studio working at the intersection of art, science and futures thinking. Futures Imagined helps organ
Ivan Brehm | S5E1
Today’s guest is Ivan Brehm. Ivan is the chef-owner behind the Michelin-starred Nouri and the creative space Appetite in Singapore. He is known for his thoughtful approach to food and creativity. Central to his work is "Crossroads Thinking”, a method that emphasises the connections and interdependence of all things. This approach extends beyond cooking, offering a way to foster creativity, in
Nathan Yong | S4E5
Today’s guest is Nathan Yong. Nathan is a Singaporean designer, artist, curator and educator whose multidisciplinary practice spans furniture, objects, spatial installations and exhibitions. Working across the boundaries of art and design, he is recognised for creating works that combine material intelligence, engineering precision and quiet emotional resonance. Nearly 20 years ago, he founded Nat
Imran bin Tajudeen | S4E4
Today’s guest is Imran bin Tajudeen. Imran bin Tajudeen is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Malay Studies and the Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, where he teaches topics on identity and representation through the arts, built heritage, and urban history in Singapore and maritime Southeast Asia. He researches the material and discursive outcomes of the colonial enco
Dr Kat Agres | S4E3
Today’s guest is Dr Kat Agres. She is an Assistant Professor at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore, and Founder of the Centre for Music and Health (CMH). Her research investigates music cognition, music and health, and computational creativity. Prior to joining NUS, Dr Kat led the Music Cognition group at the Institute of High Performance Computing at A
Dr Nadya Wang | S4E2
Today’s guest is Dr Nadya Wang. She holds a PhD in History of Art from the Courtauld Institute of Art. She is also Editor, Open Space and Reviews at the International Journal of Fashion Studies. Her book Her World, Women and Fashion in Singapore 1974-1989: Accidental Career Girl to Working Mother of the Year, published by Bloomsbury, is out now. As an entrepreneur, Nadya runs From the Margins, whi
Dr Roopa Dewan | S4E1
Today’s guest is Dr Roopa Dewan, a Singapore-based educator, museum docent, and art patron. She holds a doctorate in Linguistics and has a distinguished career teaching at institutions such as Singapore American School. A long-time docent with STPI and National Gallery Singapore, Roopa has also helped write and implement education outreach programmes. Together with her husband, Shiv, she is an act
Justin Zhuang, In Plain Words | S3E5
Today’s guest is Justin Zhuang. He is a writer and researcher, and co-founder of Singapore-based writing studio In Plain Words. In 2013, Justin was awarded the DesignSingapore Scholarship to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Design Criticism at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Since returning home, Justin has continued researching local design through his writings, teaching work, and the
Aqilah Zailan, Studio Gypsied | S3E4
Today’s guest is Aqilah Zailan. As a Malay Singaporean of Javanese descent, She unpacks identity and memory through batik, a cloth synonymous with the peoples and cultures of the Malay Archipelago (Nusantara). With a focus on Javanese batik, Studio Gypsied designs womenswear that intuitively connects the wearer to an identity—an act of coming home.In this episode, hosted by Nadya Wang, Aqilah talk
Bea Camacho | S3E3
Today’s guest is Bea Camacho. She is a visual artist and Regional Director for Southeast Asia at IDEO. Her artistic practice spans performance, installation, and video, exploring memory, the body, and material gestures. Alongside her art practice, she works at IDEO as a design consultant applying human-centered design to help organizations develop new products, services and user experiences.In thi
Berny Tan, Artist and Curator | S3E2
Today’s guest is Berny Tan, who is a Singapore-based artist and curator. Her curatorial projects reflect an interest in illuminating the processes and materialities of art-making, and how artists' sensibilities transcend the mediums they work. Berny holds a Masters in Contemporary Art Theory from Goldsmiths, University of London, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual & Critical Studies from the Sc
Larry Peh, &Larry | S3E1
Today’s guest is Larry Peh, the founder and Creative Director of &Larry, an independent branding studio in Singapore. A two-time President’s Design Award recipient, he champions soul-driven design, focusing on the essence that powers purpose to create meaningful brand experiences rooted in clarity, authenticity, and lasting impact. In this episode, hosted by Nadya Wang, Larry talks about the twist
Kapilan Naidu, Media Artist and Creative Technologist | S2E5
Today’s guest is Kapilan Naidu, who is a media artist, designer and creative technologist. He uses interactive elements and real-time data to create works that span across mixed-reality experiences, screen-based installations and computer programmes. Kapi has exhibited at venues such as National Gallery Singapore, Singapore Art Museum, and ArtScience Museum, among others. He also frequently collab
Wang Zineng, Art Agenda | S2E4
Today’s guest is Wang Zineng, Founder and Director of Art Agenda, a gallery and advisory that specialises in Asian modern and post-war art. He has nearly two decades of experience in Southeast Asian art sales and curation. In 2025, Zineng established ANNEXE, an auction platform that aims to run innovative online sales. In this episode, hosted by Ian Tee, Zineng talks about his early interest in So
Diana Tay, BARC Labs | S2E3
Today’s guest is Dr Diana Tay, Principal Conservator and Founder of BARC Labs, a fine art conservation studio based in Singapore. She has over 15 years of experience in museums and collections around the world, and leads a team dedicated to redefining how art is cared for, understood, and sustained. Through BARC Labs, she continues to build a growing ecosystem that bridges research, education, and
Margaret Wang, SUPER PROJECTS | S2E2
Meet Margaret Wang, who is Managing Partner at Recharge Capital, where she leads the firm’s women’s healthcare investments, and CEO of Rhea Fertility. Margaret serves on the Board of Creative Time, a New York–based public arts organisation supporting socially engaged artists. She is a co-founder of SUPER PROJECTS, a Singapore-based nonprofit commissioning site-specific contemporary art and public
Angela Tan, ART:DIS | S2E1
Meet Angela Tan, who is Executive Director of ART:DIS (Arts & Disability Singapore), where she works closely with her team to support the professional practice development of disability arts in Singapore. Their work centres on building sustained pathways for artists with disabilities through education, mentorship and commissions, with an emphasis on long-term artistic growth and viability. In
Nor Aslam bin Yusoff, The Community Coffee | S1E5
Today’s guest is Nor Aslam Bin Yusoff, Founder of The Community. The Community is a coffee bar and roastery with three locations in Singapore. Aslam also initiated the Singapore Roaster Forum, a platform for exchange of knowledge among coffee professionals.In this episode, Aslam talks about creative messaging as a coffee producer, the interpersonal aspects of running a food and beverage business,
Sai Pogaru, Rahasya Fragrances | S1E4
Today’s guest is Sai Pogaru, Born in India, and raised in Singapore, Sai is one of three co-founders of Rahasya. Rahasya is a niche fine fragrance brand on a mission to put Indian-inspired niche fragrances on the map through a representation of India that is bold, vibrant and non-stereotypical.In this episode, Sai talks about working with his co-founders Sachit Sood and Utkarsh Vijayvargiya to bui
Gad Tan, Paper Rex | S1E3
Today’s guest is Gad Tan, a multi-disciplinary designer with over two decades of experience in brand and visual communication. He is the Chief Creative Officer of Paper Rex, one of the world’s most successful esports teams and the first Southeast Asian First-Person Shooter team to win an international major. Based in Singapore, Gad oversees all creative output at Paper Rex, shaping its globally re
Faezah Shaharuddin, Studio Kallang | S1E2
Today’s guest is Faezah Shaharuddin, a multi-disciplinary designer and Founder of Studio Kallang, whose work explores cultural nuance, memory and craft, primarily through furniture and object design. Studio Kallang pieces have been shipped to clients worldwide via stockists such as SSENSE, 1stDibs and Adorno. Her work has most recently been exhibited at Milan Design Week 2025. In this episode, Fae
Rafiq Mohamad, Feral | S1E1
Today’s guest is Rafiq Mohamad, Founder and Creative Director of Feral. Feral is a branding and graphic design studio that has worked with clients such as Singapore Tourism Board and Lo and Behold Group. In this episode, Rafiq talks about the influence of his art education, his approach to offering design solutions, and the human-centric nature of creativity. Up-Front is brought to you by Front &a
Season Introduction with Nadya Wang & Ian Tee | S1E0
Welcome to Up-Front with Front & Off-Centre, a podcast where we speak with guests about their creative practices. In this episode, co-hosts Nadya Wang and Ian Tee introduce themselves and talk about their motivations for the podcast. Front & Off-Centre is a cultural agency offering customised communications, curatorial and programming services. To learn more about us, follow us on Instagra
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