Singapore 's Animation Industry Is Small, But Thriving. Here, Seven Artists To Know

If the world of fashion – and content creation in general – is finally waking up to the limitless potential of animation, well here are seven names to know: based in Singapore, they work across a diverse range of styles – 2-d, 3-d, motion graphics and more. By Keng Yang Shuen.

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CLEMENT CHIA, CREATIVE DIRECTOR

His aesthetic: It’s hard to say no to Chia’s buffet of voluptuous, almost tactile shapes gently bouncing and forming with a flourish on-screen, reminiscent of lava lamps – if only those came outfitted in every pastel hue possible. It’s a very pretty virtual universe that Chia has perfected, and it stems from a good place. “I create things that make me happy. And, in turn, I hope by doing what I love, it brings joy to people,” he explains. “I would like the audience to feel calm and relaxed when they watch the animations.” Set in a loop, his rollicking shapes set amid a pastel paradise are hypnotising – a visual MO that’s practically tailor-made for social media (@cmttat) where – as of press time – he commands 27.9K followers and commissions from the likes of L’Oreal and French luxury jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels. This web developer turned-animation veteran also pays it forward – he co-founded Offeo, a free platform that simplifies video-making for beginners and small enterprises. What got him started: “I started my career as a front-end developer in advertising agencies, as that was what I had studied in university, but I was always intrigued by beautiful visuals… Watching online tutorials got me more excited about the whole animation process. The possibilities are unlimited.” On Singapore’s animation scene: “I’ve seen more artists posting more experimental works on social media, and this is important as it helps them to get more exposure – clients are constantly on the lookout for talent. I’ve been seeing a lot of good artists emerging, and I think our diverse culture plays a huge part. The things that we experience make our content incredibly unique...