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Steps
Discover Steps, a light art installation by Singaporean student artist Nawal Bte Azhar
Last updated 4 May 2026
Steps
Nawal Bte Azhar (Singapore)
Location: Waterfront Promenade along Marina Boulevard
Illuminated frames form unpredictable staircases, intersecting at impossible angles, turning corners, meeting mid-air.
From one angle, the steps appear to compress tightly. From another, they expand. Spacing shifts through perspective. Boundaries and geometry change as you move.
Steps interprets Singapore's evolution through spatial relationships — tight intervals evoking early constraints of nation building, expanded ones suggesting contemporary openness. The structure seems to defy logic yet exists as a tangible form. Singapore's trajectory from survival to global city followed similarly unexpected paths: not impossible, but improbable in its speed.
Understanding it depends on where you stand. The same nation looks different from the perspective of each generation. Progress follows no predictable path — like this installation, it changes shape as you move around it, akin to the spirit of the DesignSingapore Council’s Design 2035 Masterplan, where design continuously reimagines what could be.
Steps is part of i Light Future 2026, a new mentorship initiative presented by the DesignSingapore Council to nurture emerging design talent from tertiary students to early-career creatives. Participants in this inaugural edition are mentored by Craig Neo, Lead Mentor and Founder of digital design studio, A&C Atelier.
About the artist
Nawal is a Spatial Design student at NAFA with a background in Interior Architecture and Design from Temasek Polytechnic. Born and raised in Singapore, she discovered her passion for art and design at a young age.
Combining creativity with technical skill, she brings ideas to life through immersive 3D visualisations. She experiments with different mediums, exploring spatial layouts, materials and lighting to create engaging experiences. Her approach: embrace diverse ideas and perspectives in both design and everyday life.
