He then recounted some of his more significant projects; the year-long SMRT Comics Connect collaboration in 2023, alongside fellow JAP students Oliver Khoo and Cohen Seah.“ Working on this project excited me as I had never created a mural before, much less for the public transport of the country to be seen by countless commuters daily! I was up for this new challenge and it was certainly a very different experience putting our art out there into the wider community,” he explained, a sense of pride evident in his tone.
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Another highlight he shared was the photography competition he spearheaded.“ It was cool seeing everyone‘ s experience from the Global Education Programme through different lenses, but most rewarding knowing our efforts together as an EXCO to organise this paid off”, he said, clearly enthusiastic about fostering that shared visual experience among his peers.
What struck me most was Jiong Yang’ s palpable curiosity. We also spoke about his IB Art exhibition work, where he has explored a variety of mediums including ceramics and pyrography.“ Working with a versatile yet unpredictable medium like ceramics has been a challenging yet rewarding journey. I have learnt that having a sense of intentionality while sculpting form allows me to create objects of meaning.” It’ s this kind of fearless exploration that seems to define his artistic journey – a constant pushing of boundaries and a genuine love for the act of creation.
1st image
Photography Club EXCO 2024- 2025( Left to right: Guhan Venu, Liyu Jiong
Yang, Lim Bo Shi, Damienne Lew)
2nd image
Art Department Y4s and Y6 learning journey at ART SG 2025, Marina Bay Sands
3rd image
NCC Air EXCO 2022- 20233( Left to right: Zaw Moe Khiang, Safwan Zarir, Jayden Foo, Aidan Ng, Reynold Simonn, Syahid Mirza Bin Muhamad,
Aiden Ang, Liyu Jiong Yang
Not in photo: Daniel Sim, Gabriel Ng, Marcus Ee) 4th image Liyu Family
On the topic of community, Jiong Yang also fondly remembers his secondary school days as a National Cadet Corps( Air) cadet. The regimentation and challenges that the unit faced together built a strong sense of camaraderie, and over time he learnt to respect and enjoy the discipline that the trainings required. As a Staff Sergeant serving as Flight IC, he was responsible for guiding and mentoring a batch of juniors. His teacher-in-charge, Mr Mok Hsu Pan, said,“ Jiong Yang has shown great responsibility in managing his Flight by not only leading by example, but also by nurturing the cadets under his care, committing his time to teaching his juniors essential skills for flight simulator outside of CCA sessions. Jiong Yang has been a role model to his juniors and inspires them to become better cadets.”
As Jiong Yang spoke about his journey, it was clear that his parents have been pillars of support. He holds tender admiration for his father, Mr Liyu, who also creates art as part of his passion projects.