LOOKING BACK TO THE SHOWCASE ‘EMERGE @ FIND – DESIGN FAIR ASIA’ HELD AT MARINA BAY SANDS EXPLORING DESIGNS FROM DESIGNERS OF VARIOUS NATIONS, INCLUDING THAILAND

TEXT: NATHATAI TANGCHADAKORN
PHOTO: STUDIO PERIPHERY EXCEPT AS NOTED

(For Thai, press here)

We’ve been covering some interesting activities at Design District, one of the main highlights of Singapore Design Week (SDW) 2023. But there’s so much more to look forward to at this year’s SDW. For those interested in seeing works by non-Singaporean designers, the ‘EMERGE’ exhibition by FIND or Design Fair Asia may just be what design enthusiasts can get a kick out of. 

Held at Marina Bay Sands from September 21st to September 23rd, 2023, EMERGE is an exhibition that brings together over 50 works by designers from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand with Suzy Annetta, editor in chief of Design Anthology, as the curator and mind behind its ‘CRAFT + INDUSTRY: MAN + MACHINE’ theme.

The works in the exhibition showcase sophisticated man-made creations and a masterful integration of modern technology by an incredible array of designers and studios. Among the lineup is Nazareno/Lichauco from the Philippines, whose portfolio includes design consultation and product design development for a variety of different brands, as well as curatorial direction for the ITIM: Material Manipulations in Black exhibition in 2020.

Works by Threadapeutic, a small collective of local artisans from Indonesia, encapsulate the maker’s passion for navigating and materializing new forms and interpretations of crafts alongside their endeavor to minimize waste production. Tan Wei Xiang, a Dyson design modeler from Singapore, recently released Recollect Cabinet, a work that portrays the relationship between typical functions of everyday-life objects and human emotions through tactility and dialogues that emerge during the process.

Kitt.Ta.Khon, a Bangkok-based design studio, presents their interpretation of crafts in the form of furniture with a modern aesthetic. Teerapoj Teeropas, the studio’s design director, seeks to explore new frontiers and appeals of craft in the hope of transforming diverse elements of cultures into works that anybody can relate to and appreciate.

From a family-owned furniture business, Thailand’s Nakornsang Studio has evolved into a home studio with expertise in Thai woodcraft techniques. Under the direction of Charnon Nakornsang, the studio’s wooden furniture possesses distinct characteristics that stem from Charnon’s belief in the preservation and expression of materials’ true nature, as well as the role of designers in allowing each creation to fully manifest such natural characteristics and qualities. This home studio also aims to foster the ‘warmth’ from the relationship between humans and wood, in line with Charnon’s conviction in the healing effect of being surrounded by and observing nature’s presence.

There are many other interesting and inspiring design studios and works that cannot all be included in this article. Find out more about all the projects at DesignSingapore Council’s (DSG) Singapore Design Week (SDW) 2023, which will be held from September 21st to October 1st, 2023.

For more information about works in EMERGE, visit

emerge.design-anthology.com/2023