Hello there, I am Somewan or

Tengwan Quek

About Me

About Somewan

Tengwan Quek, also known as Somewan, is a Freelance Illustrator/Designer based in Singapore. She engages in a variety of projects, including commercial editorial, publishing and mural. With a keen interest in technology and travel, she is passionate about finding effective ways to fuse ideas, imagination, and emotions on a canvas. When she is not drawing, she spends time keeping fit, traveling, hiking and photography.

Clients

Facebook
Lenovo
Elastic.co
Grab

Temasek Trust • GovTech, Singapore • MCCY • National Heritage Board • Expo 2020 Dubai • Andaz Hotel • PSB Academy • Creative Debut • Fine Acts • TEDcountdown • Cogenerate • Nanyang Technological University

Any ideas to collaborate? Let's do this.

Recognitions

Illoboom! Illustration Summit Challenge 2024

Merit & Judge's Awards, Pack Smartly

Top 50, Olympic Sports, SG landmarks

The Northern Illustration Prize, 2023

Shortlisted, Emerging Illustrator Category, The big blue engine

3x3 mag Professional Show No.19, 2022

Merit and Honorable Mention, Emotional Baggage/Being Outside

Communication Arts 2022

Shortlist, Illustration

Artists for climate 2021

Selected Artists, Open license illustration

Crowbar Award 2012, 2013

Bronze. Editorial Publication, ADM Show 2012

Finalist. Below the line collaterals

Finalist. Editorial Publication, Rebirth

Featured

Creative Boom – 10 Illustrators under 10k on Instagram

Pictoplasma – Character Matters Open Call, Pictoplasma Berlin 2025

Procreate.art – Featured illustration

Procreate Instagram – Featured illustration

Expo 2020 Dubai – Closing declaration illustration

The AOI – Excellent Editorial Illustration Part 2

Inprnt – Curated Picks

JaamZIN Creative – Featured artist

Designers of Colour – Listed

ElloHype – New illustrator

Minty – Featured illustration

Exhibitions/Events

Illustration Arts Festival 2023 – Pop-up booth

Pameran Poskad Dec 2022 – Singapore landmarks

Mythology RElooked Aug 2022 – Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre

Art Attack Illustration Exhibition Apr 2022 – Creative Debut x Adidas London

TED Countdown, Artists for Climate Oct 2021 – UN Climate Change Conference

Giffestsg – Gif Exhibition 2018, 2020

Publications

Illustrator for Jesvin Yeo's book – Forgotten Heritage, Uncovering Singapore's Traditional Chinese Puppets

Illustrator for Jesvin Yeo's book – Vanishing Crafts and Vanishing Materials

Jesvin Yeo & Quek Tengwan. (2012). Creative process: A comparative study between concentration. and distraction. International Journal of Arts and Commerce, 1(6), 280-287.

Jesvin Yeo & Quek Tengwan. (2012). A comparative study between concentration and distraction. Proceedings of the Asian Conference on Media and Mass Communication 2012, Osaka, Japan, pp. 380 - 388



Experiences

Independent Freelance Illustrator/Designer • Self-employed
2018 – Present

Transited to focus on illustration in 2020. Open to illustration projects ranging from tech, commercial, editorial, merchandise, events and more.

Design Lead • Gomu.co
2022 – 2023

Design for better Web3 experience at Gomu. Ranging from product design to brand design.

Senior Product Designer • Zendesk
2012 – 2018

Worked closely with product managers, engineers, UX researcher and the global creative team to grow design through iterations, ideation and user validation.

Illustrator/Art Director (Freelance)
2009 – 2015

Notably, illustrated, researched and compiled a bilingual book on preserving "Vanishing Crafts" and "Vanishing Materials", led by Dr. Jesvin Yeo.

Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts, Visual Communication

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Diploma in Industrial Design

Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore