Year 3 Medicine student Owen Chau is proving that art and medicine don’t just co-exist, they elevate each other. Between clinical training and serving as the outgoing President of the NUS Students’ Medical Club, Owen transformed a childhood love of sketching and a school-issued iPad into TWENTY-THIRD COLLECTIVE, his own illustration and design studio.
Most recently, he collaborated with the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) on the Yusof Ishak House (YIH) Reopening x NUS WellNUS Festival, designing murals and wayfinding artworks that reimagine YIH as a vibrant, interconnected home for student life.
OSA met with him to learn how he balances the rigours of medical school with a flourishing creative practice.
OSA: When did you discover that you had a gift for drawing?
Owen: For as long as I can remember, illustration has been my creative outlet. As a kid, any blank space became an invitation to draw — cars, LEGO figures, my soft toys. Many of these sketches ended up as gifts for my family or reused as scrap paper for schoolwork. I still occasionally find them tucked away in old folders, a small reminder of how long art has been part of my life. I never thought of myself as particularly gifted, but the encouragement of friends and family who kept my drawings — even the ones I would’ve thrown away — helped nurture my confidence and passion for the craft.
A collage of Owen’s artworks from his younger days.
OSA: How was this artistic interest and talent nurtured over the years?
Owen: I began taking my creative pursuits more seriously after entering NUS Medicine. Before that, I worked only with pencil and paper, but being loaned an iPad by the University opened new opportunities to explore digital illustration and design. As I grew more confident, I started taking on professional projects in art, marketing, and communications beyond school.
Owen brainstorming new concepts for the YIH Reopening x NUS WellNUS Festival project.
OSA: How was your studio, TWENTY-THIRD COLLECTIVE involved in the reopening of Yusof Ishak House?
Owen: OSA invited me to create a series of student-facing designs for the Yusof Ishak House Reopening x NUS WellNUS Festival — an opportunity to celebrate YIH’s themes of heritage and sustainability. The wayfinding mural, which was displayed throughout the festival, reimagined YIH as a cross-section of campus life filled with student organisations and activities. I also designed a locality map positioning YIH as the centre of student life on campus, using bold colours and clean geometry to make navigation more intuitive and memorable.
Owen, next to the wayfinding mural he created for the YIH Reopening x NUS WellNUS Festival. On his right are OSA Communications staff, Janice Low (far left) and Elissa Chia (middle).
OSA: How was your studio, TWENTY-THIRD COLLECTIVE involved in the reopening of Yusof Ishak House?
Owen: OSA invited me to create a series of student-facing designs for the Yusof Ishak House Reopening x NUS WellNUS Festival — an opportunity to celebrate YIH’s themes of heritage and sustainability. The wayfinding mural, which was displayed throughout the festival, reimagined YIH as a cross-section of campus life filled with student organisations and activities. I also designed a locality map positioning YIH as the centre of student life on campus, using bold colours and clean geometry to make navigation more intuitive and memorable.
Owen and the 7th MedNurse Club, who served the Medicine and Nursing faculties in AY 2024 to 2025.
OSA: You wear many hats inside and outside NUS. How do you juggle these commitments?
Owen: It’s not easy! Balancing everything often means trade-offs — wrapping up a project might lead straight into studying, or a long clinical shift into a meeting with stakeholders. What keeps me going is knowing that my efforts have meaning. No matter how big or small the role, someone benefits down the line, and that makes it worthwhile. I’m also grateful for good friends and capable teammates, especially my MedNurse family, who always put their best foot forward in serving the school.
OSA: Having honed skills in so many areas, what are your plans for the future?
Owen: My main goal has always been to become a skilled and compassionate doctor — someone patients can rely on for guidance, care, and support. I’m still exploring different specialties and keeping an open mind about where I might eventually dedicate my time to. Through TWENTY-THIRD COLLECTIVE, I also hope to continue using design to support organisations in heritage, healthcare, and education. Ultimately, what matters most to me is living with purpose and uplifting the people around me.
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