Artist See Min Ng On Jagua Tattooing, Connecting With Strangers Through Art And More

A creative who is less about following rules and more about creating from the heart.

see min ng | jagua artist | culture insider — Photo: Courtesy of See Min Ng

By Larissa Wong - published 4 Sep 2026

Meet See Min Ng, a women who wears many hats: “multifaceted artist and storyteller, YouTuber, jagua body artist and a music video director”, as she describes. There is an unmistakable tenderness to everything See Min creates. Whether it’s an intricate jagua tattoo drawn onto skin, a cinematic music video, or a conversation with a stranger captured through her creative practice, her work is guided by raw emotions rather than convention. Entirely self-taught, the Singaporean artist, tattoo studio founder and director has built a multidisciplinary career on heart, intuition,and an unwavering belief that art should be deeply felt before it is seen.

Read on to find out more about her practice, what inspires her, memorable moments from work and more.

What is your favourite spot in Singapore?

My favourite spot in Singapore is Jurong Lake Garden. I call it Singapore’s Central Park, but honestly way more tranquil. The air there is so fresh, the lake calms me every time, and the sunsets there are unreal. Every part of the garden is so beautiful as well. I like to go for a run there in the evenings after I finish my work to fully transition into relaxation mode.

What is your favourite museum in Singapore to visit and why?

My favourite museum to visit is the ArtScience Museum. The entire experience of visiting an exhibition there is often super immersive. The sensorial experiences are the ones that really move me, making me question and ponder deeply.

Do you collect anything in particular? If so, what is it?

Jackets! I grew up insecure about my body shape and used to often rely on jackets to change up my silhouette. That started my love for layering and experimenting. After witnessing first-hand how much different jackets, materials, and silhouettes change up your aura, I fell deeply in love with them. It’s just a bummer I’m based in Singapore.

What is one object you could never part with?

My iPad. I’m a self-diagnosed iPad adult, I literally use it for every single one of my passions—drawing, directing, writing, journalling … I don’t think I can live without it.

What is your favourite genre of music?

Country. It makes me feel melancholic and sentimental, like I’m the main character of my own life, you know? It’s also the genre I use the most in my cinematic vlogs on YouTube.

When do you feel most inspired?

I’m speaking to people, especially strangers! A lot of times I find out a lot about myself through the lens of others, and it’s always so incredible when I see my humanity reflecting through theirs and vice versa. I just love collecting and listening to stories … It makes me see so many possibilities, and the wonderful range of potential we have as humans.

What does your work say about you?

I think my work is my attempt at making sense of the world. It says everything about me—the tensions I’m holding and the things I’m trying to preserve. Right now, they’re saying a lot about finding compassion and acceptance for the self and thus for society, not just through the lens of others but also through looking inwards. Looking at which areas of my life can I afford more honesty, and how can I compassionately move towards a more aligned version of myself, while doing as little harm to others and the environment.

What do you love most about jagua tattoos?

I love that it’s transient and serves a purpose for a very specific short period of time (two weeks to be exact). A lot of people lament its impermanence, but I feel that that is the very thing that allows people to find borrowed courage to truly express themselves with low stakes.

Growing up in a pragmatic society that punishes mistakes and rewards merit, doing jagua tattoos became a window in which I could really witness the rawness of humanity when fear is removed temporarily. I’m also speaking for myself, because I know they’re not permanent, I can really be present in simply drawing something because I feel like it, not because they hold a significant meaning that has to stand the test of time.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Everything is a mirror. I grew up being resentful of the cards that were dealt to me, and the constant inability to express my authentic self. I always saw myself as a victim of my circumstances when I was a kid, and thought life was something that happens to you, not for you. But when I read somewhere that everything is a mirror, and my perception of the world is a reflection of myself and my inner landscape, everything changed. I began to take accountability for my thoughts, beliefs and actions, constantly questioning the status quo and how things were always believed to be done.

I really took a hard look at myself and saw the agency I had all along, but readily gave up for comfort. Though it can be tough to integrate these lessons sometimes, this line is a constant reminder that I always have all the answers within.

What is one artistic hobby you’d love to explore?

see min ng | jagua artist | cinematography | culture insider — Photo: Courtesy of See Min Ng

Cinematography! I’m always so amazed by visuals that can make you feel something, and cinematography to me is not only compositing an image, it also sets the visual boundaries for the viewers to feel a specific feeling. Kind of like a painting. I’ve always just worked on 2D, like drawing on skin and painting on canvas. I struggle deeply whenever I have to do anything that involves the 3D plane (like sculpting, 3D modelling, interior design), so hopefully cinematography will be the bridge for me to understand 3D perspectives while crafting a “2D” frame.

What is something everyone should experience once in a lifetime?

Attending a sociology lecture. It will open up your world view instantly. I always say if everyone on earth studied sociology, the amount of bigotry, prejudice, and separation in this world would be cut by more than half. They might even disappear forever. Majoring in sociology at university was the key for me to understand the relationship we as humans have with society and vice versa, which made me less judgmental, more compassionate, more inquisitive, and helped me develop the capacity to hold multiple truths and perspectives at once.

What is a trend you’re loving at the moment?

I don’t know if my algorithm is an echo chamber, but I’ve been seeing way more eclectic and innovative self-expression lately, be it in design, fashion, or thought. I've been seeing unexpected prints, multi-function apparel, or the act of bridging uncommon themes together to create something the world has never seen before.

What has been the most memorable moment from your career so far?

I have so many!

I’ve heard of common stereotypes such as how artists are often entitled and selfish, only making works to serve their own expression. But I’ve repeatedly been shown how my art form became a medium for people to make sense of their lives. I started this to earn pocket money for university, but slowly the art form and the people I met became my constant teachers, transforming me in ways I could never fully express. And as I changed, I saw the people around me change too.

My mother, who initially forbade me from pursuing art and permanent tattoos, finally saw how body art can be seen as beautiful self-expression, and how artists can make money. I feel like my entire career has been a gigantic, memorable moment. And though I’m doing fewer one-on-one jagua tattoo sessions now, I often look back on these moments for motivation whenever my self-doubt creeps in as I explore new art forms.