Tan Swie Hian

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Artwork by Tan Swie Hian at Chinatown MRT Station.

Tan Swie Hian (Simplified Chinese: 陈瑞献; pinyin: Chén Ruìxiàn; born 1943 in Indonesia) is an artist, calligrapher, poet and translator. He is one of the most talented and versatile artists in Singapore.

Tan published his first collection of modern poetry, The Giant, in 1968. Since then, he has 35 published works of poetry, essays and stories. In 1978, Tan was conferred the Chavalier de I¡¯Ordre des Arts et Lettres by France. In 1987, he was awarded the Cultural Medallion in Singapore. In 1998, he won the Marin Sorescu International Poetry Prize in Romania.

Tan has also exhibited various works in oil, Chinese ink, acrylic and sculptures, calligraphy, cartogravures and seal engravings in exhibitions around the world. In 1985, he won the Gold Medal in Salon des Artistes Francais, Paris. Recently, he won the Seoul International Calligraphy Gold Medal in an exhibition marking the Football World Cup 2002 in Seoul and Japan.

Since 1987, Tan has been the first and only Southeast Asian artist to be elected as a correspondent-member (correspondants de l'academie) to The Academy of Fine Arts of the Institute of France.

This an excerpt from Tan's interview with Time Magazine: "All my customers are very rich," he says with a smile, and tells me they are mostly bankers, doctors or industrialists. "My cheapest paintings cost $28,700". Despite his Zen leanings, Tan appreciates the good life his art has provided for him. He drives a trendy Mini Cooper in a country where vehicle-registration costs and taxes drive the price for that model up to $69,000, and he dines at Au Jardin, where the famous Dégustation menu comes with a bill for more than $80. Tan acknowledges he is a big spender: "Buddhism is not against making money; it's against being hooked on money. You have to make it to share it with others." He then recounts how he once spent $8,600 on a 1945 bottle of wine to drink with friends.

Some have criticised him for his less than humble spewings about his accomplishments. Yet there are those who hail him as a genius whose works span a myriad of mediums, including his tendency to produce gigantic works of calligraphy. Despite his international 'success', having won the Crystal award at the World Economic Forum, he does not seem to be as popular with his fellow countrymen.