September 23, 2025
SINGAPORE – Singapore artist Priscilla Tey’s It Takes A Village won the top prize in the Site Specific Category of the World Illustration Awards 2025 (WIA 2025).
The competition, organised by the United Kingdom-based Association of Illustrators (AOI) in partnership with the Directory of Illustration (DI), drew more than 4,700 entries from 85 countries. The winners in 10 categories were announced online on Sept 16.
Tey is the first Singaporean to win in this category but fellow Singaporean artist Esther Goh previously won in the Editorial Category in 2018 for Emojiworld, which was commissioned by local visual art and education platform EYEYAH!.
Tey’s win comes with a trophy which she says is in the mail on the way. The 33-year-old, who studied at the Rhode Island School of Design in the US on a full scholarship, told The Straits Times: “What I do get out of the competition apart from the recognition is mostly publicity and visibility.”
She will also receive a year’s membership with the AOI and a free 10-image portfolio with the US-based DI, both of which are databases used by art directors.
Tey, who is currently working on four children’s books with three international publishers, added: “I’m hoping the profile will lead to more commissions in the future. I have a dream to do a window display at some point so that would be a fun opportunity. I like experimenting with how my illustrations can adapt to different contexts.”
It Takes A Village will also be showcased in a world tour of the winners. She said: “Due to certain logistical constraints, featured site-specific work will either be printed photos of the exhibition or images shown on a monitor or projection. How the galleries or museums choose to showcase the works will differ from location to location.”
She will also receive a year’s membership with the AOI and a free 10-image portfolio with the US-based DI, both of which are databases used by art directors. PHOTO: PRISCILLA TEY/THE STRAITS TIMES
The first exhibition will open at London’s Coningsby Gallery on Nov 3.
The awards are judged by an international panel drawn from various industries. Of Tey’s work, British artist, writer and art director of design agency Think Beautiful Design Tristan Manco said in a statement: “This one stood out as the one to beat – you can see how much consideration has gone into this. The three-dimensional aspect of the work is well thought out and exceptionally well-realised. At the same time, the imagery is well-researched, innovative and attractive.
“It is, in short, beautifully done and really showcases what can be done with immersive site-specific work. AR (Augmented Reality) can sometimes feel superfluous, but in this case, it seems genuinely engaging.”
It Takes A Village was a roving installation commissioned by the National Gallery Singapore (NGS) in partnership with CapitaLand Investment as part of 2024’s National Day celebrations. Tey’s illustrations were inspired by Liu Kang’s Life By The River (1975) and Jaafar Latiff’s Wandering Series from the 1970s, which are in the NGS collection.
The visuals were also inspired by Singapore architecture ranging from HDB void decks to shophouses as well as Singapore folk stories such as Sang Nila Utama. Visitors can participate in workshops in the spaces as well as scan the work for AR animations.
Tey’s illustrations were printed on cardboard using HP’s eco-friendly water-based latex ink so that the entire work can be recycled at the end of the event. She said the work enjoyed a second life at Kranji Primary School, which adopted it as a learning resource and was recycled a few months ago.