Han Sai Por

Sculptor

1990 East Ham College of Art, United Kingdom.
1983 Wolverhampton College of Art, United Kingdom.
1977 Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), Singapore.
1968 Singapore Teachers’ Training College, Singapore.
1943 born

Awarded Cultural Medallion

Works:

Serikaya

Fruit

20 tonnes

20 Tonnes

Physical consequences is the purpose of Cultural Medallion winner Han Sai Por's exhibition on installation art held at the Artrium of MITA Building. The exhibition opened on 13 Mar 2002 and ended on 24 Mar 2002.

The sculptor invited the audience to touch and feel 20 Tonnes in all its entirety - explore the texture and rugged rawness of the granite slabs and perceive its relation with the path through the life that the audience traverse.

Tropical Brain Forest

"A new sculpture at DS National Laboratories in the Science Park pays tribute to Singapore's home-grown scientific and technological minds.

Unveiled by A*STAR chairman Philip Yeo on Friday, it was designed by local sculptor Han Sai Por, who is famed for her many stone sculptures. The work is made of granite obtained at Mandai Quarry, and took a year to complete.

From one giant granite boulder, Ms Han sculpted numerous "brains". each piece was intricately crafted to reveal its individual characteristics."
- Today, January 27, 2003

DSO began the new year by celebrating its people with the launch of its new centrepiece "Tropical Brainforest". Mr Philip Yeo, Chairman, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and Co-chairman, Economic Development Board, unveiled the new sculpture-cum-water feature on 24 January 2003 in the second event to commemorate DSO's 30th Anniversary.
Click to view Mr Philip Yeo's speech

Made of local granite from Singapore's own Mandai Quarry and created by local sculptor, Ms Han Sai Por, the centrepiece symbolises DSO's unique brand of passion, and the indigenous and diverse talents that make up DSO.

Together with the water feature, it depicts the creative forces that drive DSO and our aspiration to be a wellspring of innovation capable of continuous tropical technological surprises

Object C

Han Sai Por's Growth of 1985 is a notable work consisting of five related forms. The five pieces are carved from marble and reveal Han's sensitivity in the handling of the material. Through delicate sculpting, Han has effected these stone surfaces with subtle, tactile nuances. Spirit of Nature, a work of 1988, expresses the notion of a multifarious unity. Each of the three pieces of carved marble exhibits both an essential difference and a unique identity; and yet the existence of each piece is justifiable only as an element of the trinity. Object C is a 1992 granite work The canoelike sculpture has carefully modelled curvatures on the top surface with two tapering ends, These ends point away from each other and create a tension of balanced but opposing forces. The C could stand for a myriad of representations: the canoe its shape appears to echo; a cradle whose to-and-fro rocking motion resembles the opposing movements of the piece.

- excerpt from NUS project written by Kwok Kian Chow

Spirit of Nature

Solo Exhibition: 20 Tonnes - Physical Consequences, a Sculpture Installation exhibition, Ministry of Information, Communications and The Arts (MITA) ARTrium, Singapore, 2002.
Solo Exhibition: Rainforest, a Drawing and Sculpture exhibition, Plastique Kinetic Worms (PKW), Singapore, 1999.
Solo Exhibition: FourDimensions, a Sculpture Installation exhibition, National Museum Gallery, Singapore, 1993.

Group:
Borrow Landscape, a Site-Specific work, Indonesia, 2002.

Orchid Journey, Sculptures installation, Suzhou, China, 2000.

Art in the Park 2000, Christchurch, New Zealand, 2000.

International Snow Sculpture, Quebec, Canada, 1997.

Hojer Internationl Sculpture Symposium, Denmark, 1996.

Yashiro International Sculpture Symposium, Japan, 1993.

Shodoshima International Sculpture Symposium, Japan, 1992.

Quarry Art Exhibition, British Council, Singapore, 1991.

Sculpture in Singapore, National Museum Gallery, Singapore, 1990.

3rd Asian Art Show, Fukuoka Museum, Japan, 1989.

Towards Peace: 5th Asian Sculpture Symposium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1987.

Contemporary Asian Art Show, National Museum of Modern Art, Seoul, South Korea, 1986.

Singapore Sculpture Exhibition, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore, 1985.

2nd Asian Art Show, Fukuoka Art Museum, Japan, 1985.

ASEAN GARDEN
The ASEAN Garden, in Malaysia, which lies on the left of the entrance to the Monument, comprises of 6 sculptures from Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Phillippines and Malaysia. It was officially opened in 1987 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of ASEAN (the Association of South-East Asian Nations). It represents unity and co-operation amongst member nations and the sculptures symbolise the rich culture and tradition present.

The sculptures are:
'The Gate of Harmony' by Dolorosa Sinaga, Indonesia
'Towards Peace' by Han Sai Por, Singapore
'Progress' by Itthi Khongkhakul, Thailand
'The ASEAN Dance' by Abu Bakar bin Abdul Rahman, Brunei Darussalam
'Barong barong' by Jerusalino V Araos, Phillippines and
'Growth' by Syed Ahmad Jamal, Malaysia.

Woodlands Regional Library - Sizeable collection of local artworks, including a wall mural by Delia Prvacki and sculpture pieces in water by local sculptor, Han Sai Por.

Sculpture Society; aka Singapore Sculpture Society - this society was founded in the year 2001, and was orientated towards artists who were leaning towards 3-dimensional and installation works, president is Han Sai Por in 2004.

The Maybank-VSA Pair-With-An-Artist Programme also gave artists like Ms Mimi Ng, the opportunity to work with new mediums. She said, "It is my first introduction to the world of sculpture using clay and wood. I have learned more from the sculpture exhibitions that Ms Han Sai Por (her mentor) participated. The Maybank-VSA Pair-With-An-Artist Programme is a very good exposure for me. I would like to continue in the programme as art is never limited."

In addition to quarterly open studios, the Artists Village organised many important visual arts events Artists Village Happenings at the Nanyang Technological Institute in 1989, The Time Show, a multi-media event to celebrate the new year of 1990 held over twenty-four hours from the morning of new year's eve to the morning of new year's day, and The Space at the Hong Bee Warehouse in 1992. The Time Show was definitely a high point the history of art in Singapore when an exceptionally wide spectrum of artists expressing in an equally wide range of mediums participated in a single art event. Amongst the participating artists were Teo Eng Seng and Han Sai Por.

- excerpt from NUS project written by Kwok Kian Chow