Myanmar-born Nyan Soe came to Singapore in 2010 to pursue art after graduating from the University of Yangon with his first degree in Chemistry. He graduated with distinction at NAFA with a Diploma in Fine Art (Sculpture) in 2013 and worked as a visual art technician at the SOTA (School of the Arts) for over a decade. During this time, he honed his craft and participated actively in art forums, exhibiting locally and abroad, including Taiwan, the Philippines and China.  He is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Sculpture at the National Taiwan University of Arts.

Nyan Soe works in a variety of mediums, primarily ceramics, wood, stone, printmaking and seal carving. His solid understanding of each craft affords him the versatility in his practice as an artmaker, to communicate his ideas in a varied and multifaceted way that is layered and nuanced.

Ten Years Ten Seals are a set of 13 seal stones used in his work “Ten Years”, where NAFA first acquired the print in 2019. While the print work reflected his emotions and realities as an artist in a foreign land; the practice of seal carving, poetry and writing flourished after leaving NAFA as he understudied a master seal carver and calligrapher, Oh Chai Hoo. Nyan Soe’s interests in Chinese philosophy were adapted in the use of Chinese proverbs, seal script and visuals and the seals come together seamlessly as one. This acquisition documents and represents a specific time of his practice in Singapore as well as his spirit of openness and embracing his experiences as a perceptive artmaker of his time.