Hungry for art
PUBLISHED ONJanuary 12, 2016 10:30 PMBySuresh Nair
His love for arts and crafts started at a young age, when his parents got him art materials and sent him for specialised arts classes to foster his passion.
"Lego was not the cheapest toy out there but my mum believed that it would nurture my creativity," Mr Benson Lee, 28, recalls. "Since I was young, I've had the freedom to express my creativity in any means. My parents supported me the best they could although we came from a financially average family."
After his O levels in 2005, he started on his design journey by taking up a Diploma in Product & Industrial Design (PID) from Temasek Polytechnic. He graduated in 2008, with a portfolio of award-winning works.
After National Service, Mr Lee enrolled in the Lasalle College of the Arts for a BA (Hons) Product Design course.
He says: "The course of study in Lasalle helped me look at Product Design as a bigger picture - somewhat like an umbrella that encompasses different aspects of societal development - and how design, as a whole, can be a driving factor for economic development across different sectors."
The specialised artistic education at Lasalle brought out his talents as a designer. Upon graduation, he became the first Singaporean designer to work for the German-based Porsche Design Studio, now known as Studio F.A. Porsche, which he describes as the "greatest experience in my journey".
Today, he works as a product designer for Chemistry, an award-winning design consultancy based in Singapore. He focuses on spatial and experiential design. He says his work scope enhances his experiences on both the organisational and public level.
The arts industry is not a bed of roses, Mr Lee stresses, and to those keen to follow his career footsteps at Lasalle, he advises: "Be curious, be humble, never sit and wait for instructions. Maturity in thinking comes with age and experience, but you can always squeeze more experience within a period of time."
This article was first published on January 12, 2016.
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