Quest Alumni Journeys Series

A Quiet Beginning in Lines and Shapes

Ang Xue Ning (Class of 2016) did not begin her journey with grand ambition. It started quietly, with drawings in the margins of textbooks at Queenstown Secondary School, small sketches made to stay awake in class. What began as doodling soon became a language. Compliments from classmates and teachers gave her the confidence to keep going, to draw better, and to look closer. Art, at first, was instinctive. Over time, it became intentional.

After lessons ended, Xue Ning often stayed back in school, filling afternoons with paint-stained hands and patient focus. These moments were never rushed. She learned batik painting, ceramics, and oil painting outside the formal curriculum, grateful for the freedom to explore beyond the syllabus. Between brushes and clay, she would order food from the canteen and continue working, discovering that art was not just something she did, but something she committed herself to.

Teachers Who Opened Doors

Her passion did not go unnoticed. Under the guidance of Mr Sairi Bakiri, Xue Ning was invited to explore oil painting after school. His generosity with time and knowledge left a lasting mark. He believed deeply in nurturing students, pushing them to exceed their own expectations.

Alongside him was Mdm Goh, her O-Level Art teacher, known for her firm standards and precise advice. Though stern, her guidance sharpened Xue Ning’s discipline and confidence.

Mr Sairi Bakiri with Ang Xue Ning at her Diploma graduation exhibition.

Both teachers gave her opportunities that few students experience, allowing her artworks to be displayed publicly and presented as tokens of appreciation to guests of honour and at fundraising events. These moments taught her that art could exist beyond the classroom. Even today, Xue Ning continues to use the personal signature Mdm Goh designed for her, a quiet reminder of the teachers who shaped her path.

Choosing the Long Road

After graduating, Xue Ning pursued a Diploma in Fine Art at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Her time there was defined by perseverance and discipline rather than shortcuts. In 2020, her dedication was recognised with the Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal and the Best Graduate Award. These achievements did not signal an ending, but a beginning.

Supported by a scholarship, she continued her studies overseas, completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture at National Taiwan University of Arts. When we met in Taiwan for part of this interview, she spoke warmly about her experience studying abroad and immersing herself in a new artistic environment. Sculpture, she shared, opened up new ways of thinking about space, form, and material. Working with physical materials demanded patience and endurance, yet it also offered a powerful way to express ideas beyond the canvas. In 2025, she received a scholarship from the Ministry of Education Taiwan to further her Master’s studies, reaffirming her commitment to the long journey of artistic practice.

What It Really Means to Be an Artist

For Xue Ning, being an artist is often misunderstood. It is not always about being special or constantly producing something new. Instead, it is about returning to the studio, again and again, even when doubt creeps in.

“Sometimes, being an artist is just being consistent in what you believe,” she shares.

Her work reflects this belief, grounded in patience, repetition, and quiet conviction rather than spectacle.

Alongside her artistic practice, she has been actively volunteering with various animal shelters since 2019. Her involvement in animal welfare mirrors her approach to art, rooted in care, responsibility, and a desire to contribute meaningfully beyond herself.

A Message to the Next Generation

To current Queenstown students who dream of pursuing the arts, Xue Ning offers honest advice.

The journey is a marathon, not a sprint. It demands humility, consistency, and the courage to lose before learning how to stand. There are no guarantees, only the quiet reward of staying true to one’s beliefs.

From late afternoons spent experimenting in Queenstown’s art rooms to studios across borders, Ang Xue Ning remains a Queenstown Secondary alum whose story continues to unfold with quiet determination. A Singaporean artist shaped by patience and resilience, her journey reflects a belief that many young dreamers carry quietly within themselves, that with dedication, courage, and persistence, even the most distant aspirations can take shape.

After all, as journeys like hers remind us, sometimes what once seemed impossible slowly reveals itself to be nothing more than the next step forward.