Ng Eng Teng
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| Ng Eng Teng (黄荣庭) | |
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| Born | 12 July, 1934 Singapore |
| Died | November 4, 2001 (aged 67) Singapore |
| Nationality | Singapore |
| Field | Contemporary Sculpture |
| Training | Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts North Staffordshire College of Technology Farnham School of Art |
| Influenced by | Georgette Chen |
| Awards | 1961: Gold Medal, Tagore Centenary Open Painting Competition 1962: Silver Medal, Nanyang University Open Painting Competition, Singapore 1974: London British Council Artist Travel Grant to England. Pingat APAD, Association of Artists of Various Resources 1981: Tan Tsze Chor Medal for Sculpture, Singapore Art Society. Cultural Medallion Award 1990: ASEAN Cultural Award for Visual Arts |
Ng Eng Teng (simplified Chinese: 黄荣庭; pinyin: Huáng RóngTíng), The Grandfather of Singapore Sculpture[1] was a sculptor in Singapore known for his figurative sculptures, many of which are found in public locations around Singapore. His legacy include the Mother And Child bronze sculpture outside Far East Shopping Centre along Scotts Road, and The Explorer located at the entrance of the Singapore Art Museum
Ng entered the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1958, and majored in painting. He was a promising student who had already begun experimenting with art in various media. His potential caught the eye of teacher and artist Georgette Chen, and often invited him to her home to discuss about art aesthetics. Whenever he visited her place his attention would fall on the ceramic pieces displayed at her home. It dawned upon Chen that since there were no sculptors in Singapore at that time, Ng's gift with clay and fluency with the English Language, should see him with a great future as a sculptor. She urged him not only to study plastic arts at The Potteries in Stoke-on-Trent in England, she also thought Ng should go to St. Ives and seek out ceramic artist Bernard Leach at his studio. Chen deeply admired Leach and his works.[2]
Ng took heed of her suggestions and left Singapore for The Potteries in Stoke-on-Trent in 1962 upon graduating the Academy. He had read pottery design at the North Staffordshire College of Technology / Stoke-on-Trent College of Art between 1962 and 1963. His interest in the genre had deepened and it took him to the Farnham School of Art in Surrey, where Ng had spent a year as a research student of ceramics and sculpture in 1964. After his graduation from Farnham he joined the Carrigaline Pottery in County Cork as a designer before he decided to return to Singapore in 1966. That year, Ng was also awarded with a Diploma by the Society of Industrial Artists and Designers (MSIAD) (now known as the Chartered Society of Designers). Upon his return he promptly set up his workshop and began teaching pottery-making. In 1968 he had joined the International Planned Parenthood Federation for Southeast Asia and Oceania, working as a visual aids officer for a year.[2]
The night of September 4, 1970 marked the beginning of his career as a full-time sculptor, with the inception of his first solo exhibition at the lecture hall of the National Library. The 5-day exhibition was officially opened by the Minister of State for Labour Mr Sia Kah Hui, and jointly sponsored by Singapore Art Society, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and the Society of Chinese Artists.[2]
Ng went on to have an illustrious career, becoming a renowned sculptor known in many parts of Asia and Australia and in 1981, his outstanding achievements and contributions to the Singapore art scene have garnered him the Cultural Medallion Award.[2]
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[edit] 1988 Olympiad of Art, Seoul Olympic Park, Korea
In 1988, Ng received a visit by the director of the Paris Arts Centre representing the Olympic Selection Committee, at his studio one evening. He had requested a commission from Ng, to create a 3-metre sculpture piece for the Seoul Olympics and to have it completed within one month. The director then made a suggestion to enlarge one of Ng's sculptures, and throughout the night they screened through all the possible selection of sculpture pieces available in Ng's studio. None of the singled out pieces could be done within the given time frame, as Ng had advised the director. Finally they both agreed on the piece entitled Portrait for the commission. Despite the selection Ng was initially reluctant to take on the commission, as he was busy with preparations for his own exhibition. The director convinced him that this was a particularly important project and the artist prioritise it over his own exhibition schedule. Ng was given the night to make his decision. The allure of of exhibiting his art along with 200 other international sculptors in the international event crept up in him as the night passes, and he decided that this was too great an opportunity to be missed. Portrait, initially created for an arts festival in 1986, carried a dual message of wars: the cry for peace from the same people who started wars in the first place. When the 2.7 metre replica was built, Ng thought that the sculpture could not be more suited for the 1988 Olympics sculpture show, given his understanding of the political tumult in Korea at that time. Having said that, Ng stressed that Portrait carried a humanistic than a political message, and his intention was for that message to be sent to the people in Korea.[3]
In 1995 Ng was diagnosed with kidney problems, and kept this condition secret only to be made known to others when he had undergone a heart bypass surgery in 1998. Ng Eng Teng battled pneumonia due to complications linked to kidney failure in the last 10 days of his life, and died in his sleep at about 11am on Sunday at his Studio 106, a kampung house at 106 Joo Chiat Place facing directly opposite to his residence at unit 127.[4]
[edit] Gallery
 Wealth (1974) |
 Contentment (1974) |
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[edit] References
- ^ "Portrait of an artist: a legacy sculpted in stone", Singapore: Straits Times, November 6, 2001.
- ^ a b c d Eng Teng, Ng (1970). Sculpture, ceramic, painting: Ng Eng Teng one-man art exhibition (catalogue).
- ^ Tay, Marie Ann (December 1988), The sculptor who went to the Olympics, Singapore Tatler
- ^ "Sculptor Eng Teng dies of pneumonia", Singapore: Straits Times, November 6, 2001.
