A Very Different Year for Designers

December 24, 2020

MUSE 2.0, an annual effort and celebration held by INTI’s Center of Art & Design spotlights the myriad masterpieces by the faculty’s lecturers and staff. While this year has brought with it its fair share of challenges, the theme of the showcase was aptly titled ‘PANDEMIC – Adapting a new life experience through the lenses of art and design’.


A few of the many masterpieces produced by the lecturers and staff of INTI’s Center of Art & Design for the recent virtual showcase, MUSE 2.0; from left, works by Khairul Azmir, lecturer cum artist at INTI’s Center of Art & Design; Tan Yoke Lia, lecturer at INTI’s Center of Art & Design; and Louise Yee, Head of Programme at INTI’s Center of Art & Design.

Ang Tong Yin, Dean of INTI’s Center of Art & Design shared her thoughts about the yearly showcase, saying: “This is an annual exhibition that proposes interesting manifestos. This year in particular was the perfect time for our lecturers and staff to rethink the values in the art and design practice by expressing their experiences during the pandemic. The values of this exhibition focuses on ethical design and multidisciplinary practice.”

“Ethical design requires designers to uphold the responsibility of serving the community, whereas multidisciplinary practice is nothing new in the design industry. Today, we use design as a synonym for planning, preparing and sketching. Designing often necessitates considering the aesthetic, functional, economic and sociopolitical dimensions of both the design object and design process. Multidisciplinary practice adds an important value in widening the function of human-centric and planet centric design,” explained Tong Yin.

Dr. Jane Lim, Chief Executive of INTI International College Subang expressed her gratitude to the lecturers and staff of INTI’s Center of Art & Design for their continuous contribution not just as academicians but also as practitioners of their craft, showcasing their individual expression and experience that was reflected at the virtual showcase.


A virtual gallery entrance welcoming visitors to the MUSE 2.0 staff and lecturers’ showcase.

“As some of the most influential role models for developing students, educators are responsible for more than just academic enrichment. They are founts of experience. They have already been where their students are going, undergone what they will go through and are in a position to pass along lessons, not only regarding their subject matter, but lessons on life too,” said Dr Jane.

She further expressed, “Here at INTI, our lecturers invest their time to nurture their students both in and out of the classrooms. Their passion to teach and commitment to see their students thrive has always been their ultimate goal. Their years of knowledge prepare our graduates for the jobs of the future and to sustain them during challenging times by equipping them with transferrable skill sets needed to excel and adapt in the ever-changing job landscape.”

“The post pandemic realities will be a struggle for most professionals, including designers and artists as they work towards adapting to changes. However, the pandemic has not impacted our creativity; in fact, I think everyone appreciates the opportunity to come together in a safe way and create something inspiring, especially in these times. As quoted from Brene Brown, ‘vulnerability is the birthplace for innovation, creativity and change’,” concluded Tong Yin.