“That which I see or hear, or both, often coalesce into a surreal vision. I unpack its relation to daily life, alter and make sense of it by forging an allegory of my own. In a sense, I am bringing past and present into conversation, into play.”
SHAYNE PHUA (b. 1997, Singapore)
uses the medium of clay to narrate stories and turn a critical eye on everyday realities. Her ceramic objects employ history, myth and literature to reflect on the world around her.
Phua enjoys observing the forms and functions of utilitarian objects. Her work focuses on these aspects of ceramics as the vehicle for exploring a host of discourses, including oral traditions, folklore, historical anecdote and socio-political ideologies. In a world increasingly flattened out by social media and cultural homogenisation, her practice is premised on a keen interest in the local and often overlooked – a register of things and tales that flicker beneath public attention. As the artist notes, “That which I see or hear, or both, often coalesce into a surreal vision. I unpack its relation to daily life, alter and make sense of it by forging an allegory of my own. In a sense, I am bringing the past and present into conversation, into play.”
Phua graduated with BA(Hons) in Communication Design from The Glasgow School of Art, Singapore .In 2019, Shayne Phua undertook artist residencies at Zentrum für Keramik in Berlin and the Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Center in Denmark. Her work has since been presented in Blended Tongue in Paris in 2022, which brought together artists based in Singapore and France alongside botanical installations by This Humid House, and New Makers in Bangkok in 2023, featuring artists from Thailand and Singapore. In 2025, Phua presented an acclaimed solo exhibition with Yeo Workshop. This year, Phua was selected as one of six artists for Artery’s Artist Accelerator Programme, an initiative by the newly established Singapore-based non-profit supporting the development of emerging artistic practices. Phua will also participate in Scenes from Another Life, a group exhibition at Yeo Workshop curated by Chelsea Pettitt of the Bagri Foundation, from 15 August to 11 October 2026.