Born 1937 in Indonesia. Studied art with Singapore Pioneer Artist, Chen Wen Hsi. In 1962 he studied at the Art Students' League of New York, USA and in 1964 joined Provincetown Workshop, Massachusetts, USA.
Doors of perception
UOB presents Journeys Revisited, a retrospective solo
exhibition by illustrious local artist Goh Beng Kwan
04 July 2005, Singapore
Journeys Revisited, a retrospective solo exhibition of the works of local
artist,
Goh Beng Kwan, was officially opened today, at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
Gallery. Sponsored by United Overseas Bank (UOB), the exhibition features 37 of
Goh Beng Kwan's art pieces, tracing his career over the past five decades.
The exhibition promises to be a mesmerising showcase of his works. Inspired by
his extensive travels and his appreciation of nature and the environment, Goh
Beng Kwan's art evokes a sense of time, and of encounters and experiences.
Goh's artistic practice began in the mid-1950s when he studied art under the
tutelage of Pioneer Artists Chen Wen Hsi and Cheong Soo Pieng. Since then, his
many achievements have gained him numerous prestigious awards including the
Cultural Medallion award in 1989, and the Salon des Artists Francais Silver
Medal in 1985. Notably, he was also the winner of the inaugural UOB Painting of
the Year Competition in 1982.
UOB's Deputy Chairman, Mr Wee Ee Cheong said, "We are pleased to present this
exceptional exhibition that marks Goh Beng Kwan's five decades of dedication to
the arts. As the winner of the first UOB Painting of the Year Competition in
1982, he has gone on to attain local and international recognition for his work
and UOB is proud to have been a part of his illustrious career.
UOB has been supporting and promoting the local arts scene for the past 30 years
and this exhibition is one of our major efforts in bringing the arts closer to
the people."
"This exhibition is one of the most prestigious shows I have done. The work
shown covers more than 50 years of my painting career, and the journey will
continue after this exhibition", said Goh Beng Kwan.
The exhibition reflects UOB's strong and continued support for the arts, and is
part of the Bank's efforts to promote greater interest in local art, as well as
encourage and recognise artists and their work.
UOB also organises the annual Painting Of The Year Competition and Exhibition,
which has grown in scope and prestige since its inception in 1982. The
Competition has come to be regarded as a premier arts event in Singapore,
attracting many entries of high standards.
Journeys Revisited is open to public at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts,
Gallery 2, from 5 to 15 July 2005. The exhibition is open from 10am - 8pm daily.
Source: UOB press release
Green Acres of Land
Medium: Mixed media
Size: 122 x 122 cm
Source: with permission: Kwok
Kian Chow / SAM
"A Heroic Decade: Singapore Art 1955-1965"
2005-07-29 until 2005-09-20
Singapore Art Museum
Singapore, , SG Singapore
Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is proud to present A Heroic Decade: Singapore Art
1955-1965, a special showcase in conjunction with Singapore’s 40th year of
independence celebration. A critical phase in Singapore’s history, the 1950s was
a period of conflicting optimism and anxiety. It was also the most intense
period of practice for some of the most important artists in Singapore, such as
Lim Cheng Hoe, Chua Mia Tee and Lim Yew Kuan. Responding to the changing social
conditions, and drawing from a diversity of cultures and experiences, these
artists produced powerful works that pulse with a resonating energy, proclaiming
the arrival of a new era. The exhibition will present close to 70 important
works from SAM collection and private collections from the period of the
1955-1965, supported by a number of key early works that foreshadow the
development in the 1950s.
Presented in four parts, namely, An Intersection of Personal Journeys, 1952 –
Bali and its Legacies, 1955 – Ideas and Ideals and 1960s - Surfacing Identities,
the exhibition chronicles Singapore art development in the period 1955 – 1965:
An Intersection of Personal Journeys traces the roots of art practices in
Singapore. The section explores the varied sources of modernity, featuring works
by itinerant artists like Xu Beihong, early works by Georgette Chen and Liu Kang
prior to settling in Singapore.
1952 Bali and its Legacies showcases Balinese works by Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen
Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng and Liu Kang. The section explores the evolvement of
Balinese subject in their works around the period and beyond. Their currency in
Singapore art, in terms of iconographical resource and market appeal, are
considered.
1955 – Ideas and Ideals presents the ecology of Singapore art around the most
tumultuous period of the 1950s. Featuring works that respond to the changing
social conditions including the social realists like Lee Boon Wang, Lim Yew Kuan,
Chua Mia Tee, and at the same time showing parallel and independent concerns in
the works of artists like Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng and Liu Kang. The
section also attempts to delve into the development of art amongst the Malay
artists through the works of S Mohdir, Mahdar and others.
The last section 1960s - Surfacing Identities explores concerns relating to
emergent concepts of national and cultural identities. Themes such as events and
change, continuing development in the iconography of the Singapore landscape
through the works of Lim Cheng Hoe, coalescing concepts of citizenship and
multiracialism through the works of Georgette Chen and the assertion of ethnic
identities as seen in literati Chinese paintings and works by Malay artists,
continuing articulation of the Nanyang modernity in the works of earlier
artists, and tensions with internationalism characterized by the diverse
approaches of Ho Ho Ying, and Western trained Ng Eng Teng, Goh Beng Kwan, and
Thomas Yeo are presented.
Says Mr Ahmad Mashadi, Senior Curator of SAM, "The development of art and
culture is interwoven into the story of our nation. Art making is not contained
within its own dynamics, but critical grounds for which emerging ideas about
society and nation are engaged, explored and expressed in cultural terms. We
have chosen to represent the 1950s as it is perhaps the most intense period of
Singapore artistic history, intersecting a critical phase of Singapore’s
national history."
Says Mr Kwok Kian Chow, Director of SAM, “The exhibition provides a platform for
artists, active or knowledgeable about the period, to contribute and inform on
our art history. Working with the National Archives of Singapore, we are
documenting primary sources on our artistic heritage.”
Commenting on the rationale for sponsoring the exhibition, Mr Kwek Leng Joo,
Managing Director of CDL says, ?ochAs a property pioneer that has grown in
tandem with Singapore’s development over the past four decades, CDL is glad to
support this meaningful exhibition. It offers the public an opportunity to
appreciate a range of art works from a significant phase in Singapore’s history
as we celebrate the nation’s 40th anniversary."
In conjunction with the exhibition, a series of talks entitled “Art and society
in 1950s: A Discussion Series on Art Collectives and Community” will be held at
SAM. Invited discussants, drawn from artists practising during the period such
as Lai Kui Fang, Ong Kim Seng and Chng Seok Tin, will reflect on their
experiences and thoughts. Programme details are appended. Log on to
www.singart.com for programme updates.
Source: SAM press release
ASIAN ART NEWS
Volume 8 Number 5
September/October 1998
Singapore Feature - Staying Power - Parvathi Nayar Narayan / From The Garden Of
The Mind: Henri Chen KeZhan - Rachel Farnay / Memory In Paper Landscapes: Goh
Beng Kwan - Rachel Farnay
Untitled (Yellow)