KELLEY CHENG
An architect by training,
Kelley Cheng is a modern day polymath who has immersed herself in the roles of editor, writer, curator, spatial designer, graphic designer, video director, interactive designer, and educator.
She is the founder and Creative Director of The Press Room, a publishing & design consultancy that designs everything from books, brands, exhibitions, documentaries, and even stage and film set design. From F&B businesses to an art gallery, her “creations” are diverse and unpredictable. She founded the iconic design magazine ish in 1999 and after ending it in 2009, she took on the role of the Editor-in-Chief of Singapore Architect magazine from 2009-2016. As a designer, her graphic and branding projects include the Youth Olympics Games, Singapore Pavilion at the World Expo Yeosu 2012, The National Art Gallery Singapore, Artstage Singapore, Singapore Writers’ Festival 2014, etc.
She has curated and designed many high-profile exhibitions including President’s Design Award 2015 and 2017; augmented reality art show “Martell 300 Air Gallery”; “Project 6581” for Japan Creative Centre; co-curated “Rotations: The Art of Tim Yip” and “TributeSG” with Esplanade, co-curated “iLight Marina Bay” Light Art Festival 2009, “Limit-Limitless” at the Venice Biennale for the architectural firm MKPL Architects, and a big scale architectural ex- hibition for REDAS (Real Estate Development Association Singapore) celebrating SG50.
Kelley is also a much sought after public speaker, having spoken twice at TEDxSingapore conferences, Creative Mornings, etc. and was celebrated as one of 2009 Great Women of Our Time and one of the 50 Most Inspirational Women 2010 in Singapore. She has also won top accolades at various awards including Design for Asia Grand Award, and multiple publishing awards including Society of Publishers Asia Awards, Asian Publishers’ Award, Singapore Book Awards, APEX Awards, MPAS Awards.
An active educator, she had served as adjunct lecturer in Visual Communications at the Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Glasgow School of Art, Singapore; an adjunct
lecturer in Interior Design at LaSalle College of the Arts; she is also a frequent name on international design judging panels Red Dot Awards, Nagoya-Do!, Design for Asia Award, Creative Circle Award, James Dyson Award, etc. As a design veteran of the industry, she is a board member of various organisations including the Design Communica- tion Industry Advisory Group for LaSalle College of the Arts, Singapore Polytechnic Design School Advisory Board, & SPH Chinese Media Advisory Board, etc.