In this special Singapore edition of Desi in Design, Sravya Attaluri sits down with Kumari Nahappan, a Malaysian-born, Singapore-based contemporary artist celebrated for her large-scale public sculptures and multidisciplinary practice spanning painting and installation. Over three decades, Kumari has built one of Southeast Asia’s most recognisable contemporary art practices. Her works, inspired by nature, ritual, and material experimentation, have become landmarks across Singapore and beyond.
Together, they discuss what it takes to sustain a long-term creative career, the rituals and routines that keep her grounded, and how intuition, faith, and play guide her process. Kumari also shares her approach to working with engineers and collaborators on public art, her views on upcycling and environmental responsibility, and what she’s learned from a lifetime of creating.
Filmed in Singapore at Studio Five, Desi in Design’s studio partner and co-producer for this special episode and trailer.