Nathan Tan Yew Wai (b. 1995, Singapore) is an artist and printmaker whose practice explores the quiet relationships between human presence and aquatic life within Singapore’s freshwater environments. Through field research, underwater documentation, and print-based experimentation, his work examines how natural and manmade ecologies intertwine, revealing fragile systems of adaptation and coexistence.
Grounded in printmaking yet expanding beyond its traditional bounds, Tan employs techniques such as screen printing on aluminum and plywood with laser-cutting to create layered material narratives. His works often reflect on the ethics of ornamental fishkeeping and the effects of aesthetic-driven human intervention.
Tan’s works have been exhibited internationally in Germany, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam, with selections for the 8th Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland (Romania) and the 4th ASEAN Graphic Art Competition and Exhibition (Vietnam).
He holds a Diploma in Fine Art (Drawing and Printmaking) from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, where he later served as Printmaking Technician, and is currently pursuing a BA (Hons) Fine Art with the University of the Arts London at NAFA, supported by the Tan Chin Tuan Scholarship and the NAFA Talent Development Programme, under the mentorship of Kitikong Tilokwattanotai.