Azelia Ng (26) & Her Books
Documenting Aze over the years.
Azelia’s tender deeds can be found on shelves – nothing lights her up quite like being in the workshop crafting, typesetting books and talking about them. Aze, as we all call her, and I met at a graphic design studio, where we worked shoulder to shoulder for a year. Outside of the office, we tackled Field Notes, a 100-page printed documentation of a virtual field trip to Redhill during lockdown. It was part of a larger body of fieldwork by the DesignSingapore Associates aimed at democratising design through critical engagement of the public. We spent days and nights together.
Aze has all the makings of not just a great designer, but of an equally amazing person. Very (very) real, unimaginably supportive and incapable of conspiring, she’s the sort of friend anyone would be blessed to have.
I spent a day with her at The Yards @ Joo Chiat to learn more about her creative journey.
“I’m currently a Brand Manager at Allegro Print, handling its various house brands like LayerPlay, Oolers and OFFCUT, two initiatives I helped start. (A/N: OFFCUT has recently won the Japan Good Design Award amongst a slew of other achievements). The Other Workroom is my personal practice, a space where I explore subjects that interest me and where I can collaborate with others outside of my day job.”
“The work I do and enjoy is print-centric, but what drives it is craftsmanship, ideation and experiences that resonate with users; synergy. Projects I embark on usually revolve, but are not limited to, the printed matter.”
Sat along a quiet corridor. We don’t run out of things to say.
“I graduated London College of Communication in 2018 with a BA Hons in Graphic and Media Design. I was at Temasek Polytechnic, School of Design (Diploma in Visual Comms) prior to that. My education has helped me navigate a career in graphic design, though I’m not defined by the practice. The cumulative knowledge has enabled me to research the book as an investigation on print matter, and explore experimental publishing and artist’s books. I’ve also taken an interest in printed product design (i.e. stationery).”
Something I love so much about Aze – she’s curious by nature.
“I’m still in the process of learning what I want to do. Although, I would like to believe, I’m right where I need to be at the moment. The work I do now is quite enjoyable and I’m constantly uncovering new skills, while honing existing ones. I just follow my interests and set objectives wherever I’m placed.”
Aze took this photo of her bag. “I unconsciously carry a lot of printed matter everywhere with me.”
“I think fear and doubt are only natural in any journey of growth (creative or otherwise), it’s a matter of how we overcome and what we learn from them. Personally, it takes a lot of processing my own emotions and finding the root cause, to work through something. By assessing myself, I can identify what I actually need to deal with.”
“Personally I’ve felt the pressure of being a scholarship recipient and having to perform well as a result. I always felt like I had to live up to other’s expectations and it took me a long time to work through that and be comfortable with going at my own speed.”
“Our creative journeys are our own.”
“I recently contributed a written piece to Don’t Mind If (a ground up initiative committed to demystifying and uplifting Singapore’s communication design industry) that pretty much summarises what I would like to say to young creatives. In essence, I think it’s good for us to learn to have sober judgement (to assess ourselves objectively) while still being kind to ourselves and to always be open to unlearning to learn.”
“As much of an introvert as I am, I do get my inspiration from meeting various types of people, listening to their journeys and takeaways. I also never forget to make time for play. Unwinding and relaxing help me step away from work and free up headspace to absorb new things.”
“What I love about being a creative is the joy that’s derived from playing with ideas and expanding on them. The outcome is always unexpected. The journey or process is usually not easy but it is the surprising results that I look forward to.”
“Creativity to me is an intrinsic part of my life and my means of expressing my hopes and dreams, where all things are possible!”
“Creativity to me is possibility.”
