Artist, Consultant, and Advocate of Cross-Cultural Expression
Dr. Grace Chew holds a PhD in International Business Management and an Executive MBA from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She also earned a Bachelor of Mass Communication from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, a Diploma in Graphic Design from Saito Academy of Graphic Design in Kuala Lumpur, and completed her foundation studies in Fine Art and Graphic Design at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), Singapore.
Professionally, Dr. Chew is the founder and former Executive Director of G Gianna Consultancy Pte Ltd. She also served as the founding Chairwoman of the Singapore International Cheongsam Association and sat on the board of the PrimeTime Business Women’s Association. She currently serves as the Senior Client Engagement Manager at RGP Management Consulting.
An accomplished artist, Dr. Chew is skilled in oil, acrylic, batik, calligraphy, and Chinese painting. Her work merges Eastern and Western styles, often reflecting themes of travel, life experiences, and the divine beauty of nature. Her art has been exhibited in both Singapore and internationally. In 2023, her oil painting was selected as a finalist in the UOB Painting of the Year Competition.
She is actively involved in the art community, serving as a board member and Youth Group Advisor for Life Art Society. She is also a member of several art associations, including the Women Artists Association (Singapore), Singapore Art Society, Federation of Art Societies Singapore, The Society of Chinese Artists, Singapore Clementi Artists Group, NAFA Alumni Association, and the Penang Art Society. Her artworks are part of collections at the Chinese Heritage Centre at Nanyang Technological University, the Catholic Foundation (Singapore), as well as private and corporate collections locally and abroad.
Selected Group Exhibitions and Achievements:
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2016: Silver Award – Chinese Cheongsam Competition in China (Qipao design using batik and Peranakan motifs); 2nd LIFE Art Exhibition
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2018: “Fall in Love with Art” – Fundraising collaboration with Life Art Society and The Straits Times for the School Pocket Money Fund; Angelico Art Awards
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2019: Champion – Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival Lantern Painting Competition; Splendid Art City, commemorating Singapore Bicentennial (Life Art Society)
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2022: Gorgeous Transformation (Women Artists Association Singapore), Seeking Wonder (Cambodia), Life Art Society’s 50th Anniversary Exhibition, NAFA Alumni Exhibition, Angelico Art Awards
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2023: Figural (NAFA Alumni Association), National Day Exhibitions (Women Artists Association Singapore and Life Art Society), Art Unities (Katong Community Centre), Voice of Art (BeOne Gallery), Clementi Artists Exhibition
Grace in Transformation
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The Journey of Grace Chew
A Childhood Painted in Colour
In the vibrant coastal town of Penang, Malaysia, a young girl named Grace Chew was already discovering a world filled with colour, shape, and emotion. Art was not something rare or exotic to her. It was a natural extension of learning and life. Her school days were steeped in visual expression. Geography lessons became maps drawn with precision, and science assignments turned into illustrated botanical studies. Unlike many others, Grace enjoyed the process and often helped her sister who struggled and cried over drawing homework.
Grace’s primary school art teacher made a lasting impact. He introduced her to mediums like copper, clay, wood, and watercolour. Even now, decades later, she remembers him vividly. That early exposure planted the seeds of a deep, enduring love for art.
A Door Opens in the Most Unexpected Place
At 19, Grace had a chance encounter that would shape her future. She travelled from Penang to Johor with her church group to help with a Sunday school program. There, she stayed with a family whose eldest son had returned from Italy, trained as an artist. He was a lecturer at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in Singapore.
She was struck by the large, expressive paintings in the home. When she complimented the artwork, the artist encouraged her to apply for NAFA’s entrance exam, which was fast approaching. Grace had not painted in some time and had no materials with her. He offered to teach her the basics and lend her his supplies. Then, he brought her to Singapore for the exam.
Despite her lack of preparation, she was accepted into NAFA. Many of her classmates had taken months of pre-exam courses. Grace had arrived on instinct and raw ability.
She was also accepted into a corporate secretary course in Kuala Lumpur. When she asked her mother which path to follow, her mother said, “Follow your passion.” That advice became the compass that guided Grace to Singapore.
The Price of a Dream
Singapore was not what she had expected. Art supplies were expensive, and life was hard. She lived in a cramped apartment and shared a room with three other women. They took turns using the bed to save space. To survive, Grace gave Chinese tuition at night, finishing only around 10 pm. Her homework started afterward and often continued into the early morning. She slept three or four hours a night.
After a year of living like this, her health collapsed. Severe sinus issues forced her to return to Penang for surgery. In her absence, she asked a friend to collect her artwork from the year-end exhibition. By the time he arrived, everything was gone. Her entire portfolio had vanished.
That loss was devastating. Without a portfolio, it was as if she had never attended NAFA. In that era, she had no access to digital documentation, and she hadn’t been able to afford slides or photographs of her work. All her effort was wiped out.
Her health was still fragile. Her family had limited resources. And there was no money left for tuition. After much reflection, she left Singapore and continued her studies at Saito Academy of Art in Kuala Lumpur.
Faith, Strangers, and New Paths
Throughout her life, Grace found guidance in unexpected places. Her mentors were not always traditional. Sometimes they came in the form of a helpful teacher, a generous friend, or someone she met at a crucial moment.
After completing her diploma in Kuala Lumpur, she travelled to Australia to meet her boyfriend. It was supposed to be a short trip, but Grace fell in love with the country and decided to stay. She took on a waitressing job to support herself and, during this time, began attending a church where her chef had brought her.
One day, his car broke down in front of a school. Two men came out and offered to help. They were members of a Christian organisation called Youth with A Mission. That meeting would change her life.
She started attending their fellowship gatherings, later enrolling in their training program. She took part in local missions and used her graphic design skills to support their outreach efforts. For a time, Grace was a full-time designer for the organization. It was a spiritual and creative awakening.
Before returning to Malaysia, she entrusted her artwork to a friend for safekeeping. But when she came back, she was told the portfolio had been lost during a house move. It was the second time she had lost everything she had created.
A New Uniform, A New Life
Eventually, her visa ran out and she had to return to Malaysia. On the flight home, she saw a recruitment ad for Singapore Airlines. Back in Penang, her mother pressured her to find work. Grace applied to become a stewardess and was one of only a handful selected from hundreds of applicants. She was already 26—much older than most of the candidates—but she got the job.
She returned to Singapore in 1992, this time not as a struggling student but as a stewardess.
During her ten years at Singapore Airlines, she earned her bachelor’s degree through RMIT and SIM. Later, she transitioned to the ground team, managing SIA PPS Club members.
Her journey into the corporate world had truly begun.