Preserving our legacy through art and memory
Yale-NUS sculpture unveiled on campus
As Yale-NUS College approaches its final academic year, efforts to preserve the Yale-NUS legacy are being completed. Mater, a commemorative sculpture erected on the lawn outside the library, serves as a physical manifestation of the College’s presence. Yale-NUS College President Joanne Roberts shared that the creation of Mater aims to evoke our collective experiences of Yale-NUS, and to share with future inhabitants of the campus a visual representation of our approach to learning and inquiry, which is the capacity to explore through different perspectives, disciplines and experiences.
Described as “a cube with an illusionary square”, Mater frames the Library and Arts Centre, key spaces that are intrinsically significant to the Yale-NUS community. To design the sculpture, the College appointed Grace Tan, an interdisciplinary artist based in Singapore who focuses on material, geometry and construction in her practice. When asked about her intentions behind conceptualising the structure, she expressed that “Mater is not a representational work with a specific meaning tied to it. Instead, I wanted people who come across the work to ask questions like – what do I see, what is this work about, what does it mean to me. I find the personal engagement to be much more meaningful compared to a prescribed meaning. I hope it becomes a portal for the viewers to question things or feelings that are more transcendental.”
In terms of design, she shared that the sculpture’s cube and illusory square structure were inspired by the Sol LeWitt’s wall drawing at the Yale-NUS College Hall Gallery and Isamu Noguchi’s sculpture garden at Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University, representing the relationship between Yale’s campus in New Haven and the College.
Given Mater’s permanent presence on the lawn, a factor Grace considered was the environmental impact of the piece in terms of material, location and design. To complement the Heritage Tree on campus – the Margaritaria indica that resides in the heart of Yale-NUS, she opted for weathering steel which colour evolves as it is exposed to natural elements. The weathering creates a layer of protective patina that will gradually age over time – transforming the steel from grey to yellow ochre, orange amber, deep burnt sienna and finally to a very dark brown with a hint of purple complementing the hues of the Margaritaria indica. The colour and material change is analogous to the notion of change and growth while the formation of the patina alludes to the strengthening and deepening of human relationships and bonds. Beyond an artistic choice, Grace has also chosen to work with a an eco-friendly material so that “the metal wash off will not be detrimental to the water quality and the biofiltration pond habitat”.
The sculpture also places connectivity at the forefront through its name. “Mater is a Latin word for mother. I was drawn to the word because I envision the role of an educational institution to be likened to a mother figure. Mater also brings to mind the phrase alma mater, something I believe that Yale-NUS alumni can relate to because Mater is conceived as a work that will bring them back together, for place and memory making,” Grace revealed.
Engagement with the community for the sculpture started even before the conceptualisation of Mater. The sculpture committee, chaired by two Yale-NUS Governing Board Members, Ms Linda Lorimer and Ms Chong Siak Ching, included President Roberts, staff, students, alumni, and faculty. The committee also gathered community opinions and held a listening session last year. Together, they evaluated a range of submissions before unanimously selecting Grace’s vision. The sculpture celebrates and communicates the position of Yale-NUS as a pioneering institution of liberal arts education in Asia, and aims to engage with the community through various ways of meaning-making.
The sculpture was officially unveiled on 11 August 2024, in a ceremony attended by Chair of Yale-NUS Governing Board, Mdm Kay Kuok, Yale-NUS Governing Board Members, alumni, students, family, faculty and staff. In her speech, Ms Chong described Mater as a “dynamic symbol of curiosity and dialogue”, and that the evolution of its patina represents ongoing growth and adaptation, drawing parallels to the “journeys that many Yale-NUS students have had and will have”.
President Roberts concurred, “We are grateful to have this amazing artwork that captures the essence of Yale-NUS and our time here. Its permanence will commemorate our amazing journey together, and at the same time, it has the power to capture our continuing transformation as individuals, and as a community.”
As Mater now sits in the heart of campus, it symbolises a lasting testament to the Yale-NUS’ presence, and the distinct liberal arts education approach that intertwines living and learning, embodying all that makes the College special.
