Movement01 Floor Lamp Series by Swirl Up | Photo courtesy of Swirl Up EXPLORE CONTEMPORARY WORKS FROM ASIAN DESIGNERS AT EMERGE @ FIND 2025, REFLECTING THE ROLE OF DESIGN IN CONNECTING PEOPLE, SOCIETY AND LOCAL WISDOM
TEXT: NATHATAI TANGCHADAKORN
PHOTO CREDIT AS NOTED
(For Thai, press here)
EMERGE @ FIND marks its most expansive and inclusive edition yet for Singapore Design Week 2025, with a local voice at the curatorial helm for the very first time as the festival celebrates ‘Nation by Design’ in honor of Singapore’s 60th year of independence.
bangko + bangkito by Clark Mendoza | Photo courtesy of Clark Mendoza
This year’s exhibition introduces Edwin Low, founder of Singapore design brand SUPERMAMA, as co-curator, alongside returning co-curator Suzy Annetta. Together, the curated works will investigate processes, their role as tools for storytelling, and how it can forge meaningful links between disciplines, cultures, and the complexities of our time, all in response to EMERGE’s theme, ‘Dialogue through Design.’
Sound of Ramie by Lana Daya | Photo courtesy of Lana Daya
The fourth edition of the showcase continues to spotlight Asia’s most exciting designers while reinforcing Singapore’s role as a convenor across borders and cultures. Expanding its geographical reach, EMERGE will feature over 70 designers and present more than 100 works. For the first time, designers from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan will join the line-up, in addition to established names from Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Timor-Leste.
The showcase is structured around two main segments, Design Object and Design Social – the former focusing on materiality, craft, and innovation, while the latter delving into design’s role in addressing social, cultural, and environmental contexts.
Threads of Becoming by Shervon and Melvin Ong | Photo courtesy of Shervon and Melvin Ong
(Air)just by Eian Siew | Photo courtesy of Eian Siew
The revival and reimagining of tradition in contemporary contexts also remain as a defining influence on many of the works from Southeast Asia. Threads of Becoming by Shervon and Melvin Ong from Singapore, in collaboration with lacquer threading master Andy Yeo, fuses hand-threaded lacquer technique traditionally used in religious effigies with contemporary 3D printing. Meanwhile, Eian Siew from Singapore, who recently showcased at Milan Design Week 2025, presents (Air)just, which explores how air might shape, hold, and reconfigure light by replacing traditional joints with inflated bladders.
WV Shelf by LAITA Design | Photo courtesy of LAITA Design
LoopLine Collection by THINKK Studio | Photo courtesy of THINKK Studio
LAITA Design from Vietnam applies industrial acrylic bending techniques to present the WV Collection – a series of console tables and shelves that challenge traditional ideas of artisanship. Similarly, Thailand’s THINKK Studio merges 3D-printed concrete with recycled plastic and rice husk components to mimic the texture of weaving in their LoopLine outdoor furniture collection.
Merge_Wishing Pagoda by Ok Kim | Photo courtesy of Ok Kim
Citadel Lighting Collection by Ultramar Studio | Photo courtesy of Ultramar Studio
Making their debut at EMERGE 2025, designers from several East Asian cities bring an added layer of cultural resonance to the showcase. Drawing references from the Korean tradition of stacking stones to express wishes and hopes, Seoul-based Ok Kim presents Merge_Wishing Pagoda, which is created through repetitive layers of natural lacquer, while Hong Kong’s Ultramar Studio channels celestial mythology and imperial architecture into their Citadel light sculpture series.
Samurai Spirit by Amy Lewis | Photo courtesy of Amy Lewis
Rush Tableware Collection by Jochieh Huang of Tshioh Rushcraft | Photo courtesy of Tshioh Rushcraft
Textile designer Amy Lewis draws from her Japanese heritage to reinterpret the Samurai armor with pre-consumer waste generated from local companies, paying tribute to how the armours were traditionally crafted with repurposed metals; Jochieh Huang of Tshioh Rushcraft from Taiwan transforms rush grass into functional tableware, reimagining how heritage craft can be activated in dining experiences while connecting guests to Taiwan’s culture and history.
EMERGE @ FIND 2024 | Photo: Design Anthology
EMERGE was held from September 11st to 13th, 2025 at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, but this year also includes retail activations such as the EMERGE Prelude Showcase and The Contemporary Asian Design Store in the Asian Civilisations Museum store which will end in October.