Singapore Design Week 2025 highlights collaborations between designer Nathan Yong and local craft practitioners, bringing traditional skills into contemporary homes.
Singapore, 18 September 2025 – A rattan vanity stand, an embroidered lamp, and a wood-carved vase — each thoughtfully designed for the modern Singaporean home — are among the highlights of the second edition of the National Heritage Board (NHB)’s Craft X Design initiative. The project brings together award-winning designer Nathan Yong with three craft practitioners: rattan-maker Chen Foo Kee, embroidery artisan Heath Yeo, and effigy craftsman Francis Tan.
Between October 2024 and April 2025, the collaborators worked closely to create prototypes that marry traditional craft practices with modern design sensibilities. These pieces are now being presented at the Craft X Design pavilion along Armenian Street, as part of Singapore Design Week 2025, running until 3 October 2025. Members of the public interested in the prototypes can register their interest at https://go.gov.sg/cxd-registration
.Reflecting on the journey, Nathan Yong said, “A question we wrestled with was: should we commercialise craft to preserve it, or let market forces take their course while we continue creating new stories and possibilities? Like a drop of water that ripples outward, perhaps inspiration itself is the preservation. The prototypes we created represent more than just products — they’re a celebration of Singapore’s rich cultural heritage, showing how tradition and innovation can come together to create something meaningful and relevant for modern audiences.”
Melissa Tan, Director, Heritage Policy & Research at NHB, added, “Our latest edition of Craft X Design expands on the pilot’s success by moving beyond dialogue and innovation to addressing how these new creations could be more easily accessible to consumers, and provide economic opportunity for the craft practitioners. We hope this will help our practitioners sustain their craft in the long run, as they develop new capabilities and gain cross-industry exposure.”
Alongside the showcase, HeritageSG is also organising weekend programmes hosted by artist Natalia Tan, who specialises in the saori weaving tradition. Visitors can participate in interactive sessions, including a community tapestry wall where recycled fabrics are woven in, reinforcing the participatory spirit of craft.
This initiative underscores NHB’s ongoing efforts to make traditional crafts more relevant to contemporary lifestyles while supporting local artisans in developing sustainable creative practices.
