LEO HEE TONG

Leo Hee Tong graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and continued his art education at Ashiya Art College, Japan in 1973.

He held two solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions in Southeast Asia, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, Monaco, Bahrain, Japan, USA, New Zealand and United Kingdom.

Awards
1975 Special Award during National Day Art Exhibition
1981 Creative Prize in Singapore and Taiwan Modern Contemporary Painting Exhibition
1983 "Oversea Educational Tour Award" winner at the National Day
1990 Art Merit Award in IBM Singapore Art Competition
A major award he has received: 9 times Distinction Award in UOB Painting of the year and 3 times Tan Tsze Chor Art Award

- 1957-60 Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
- 1973-74 Ashiya Art College, Japan
- 1973-92 Two solo exhibitions in Singapore and Japan
- 1968-99 Numerous group exhibitions in Singapore, Taiwan Hong Kong, Japan, ASEAN, USA, New Zealand, Monaco, Macau
- 1975 Special Award, National Day Art Exhibition
- 1980 Creative Prize, Singapore and Taiwan Modern Contemporary Painting Exhibition, Singapore
- 1982-86 Distinction Award, UOB Painting of the Year Competition
- 1983/87/94 Tan Tsze Chor Art Award
- 1989 Merit Award, IBM Art Competition
- 1992-94 Distinction Award, UOB Painting of the Year Competition

Nature and everything that might exist in it form the subject of Leo Hee Tong's art. He has painted beach, village, mountain and river scenes, pigeons and figures in all sorts of landscapes, a variety of views from windows and still lifes. Semi-abstract and in modulated colour harmonies, they are thickly impastoed and textured to resemble the crumbling surfaces of decaying, old walls. His most recent series is devoted to the kites of this region, such as the colourful wau of East Coast Malaysia. Fighting Kites, which features the commonest variety, conveys a sense of dynamism within a carefully balanced composition. This work has a colour scheme reminiscent of that of certain Japanese art in its overall white-and-black tonality, touched with gold and red here and there.




The Modern Art Society, Singapore, which will be sending 20 of its members to participate in the 19th Asian International Art Exhibition & 19th National Cultural Festival Fukuoka 2004 in Fukuoka, Japan from 30 October - 14 November 2004, was officially registered as a society in 1964 by a group of young artists passionate about their craft. It has held numerous exhibitions in Singapore and abroad featuring works by its members, and aims to provide a platform for artistic exchange both among artists here and overseas.

The 20 artists representing Singapore from the Modern Art Society include Abu Jalal bin Sarimon, Baet Yoke Kuan, Lim Poh Teck, Ang Teck Ee, Fan Shao Hua and Leo Hee Tong. The artists have all interpreted beauty in different ways: Abu Jalal's depiction of the luohan reflects the craze for breeding this fish in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia in recent years, while Baet's abstract sculpture, Evening of the East articulates the lack of freedom and space we have in our crowded society. Ang's painting, Resonance of Liberation examines Eastern spirituality in death, and the abstract works of Fan and Leo provide visual intrigue for their viewers.

The 19th AIAE is an important annual event of the Federation of Asian Artists, and will feature about 265 paintings and three-dimensional artworks centred around the theme, Asian Beauty - Competition and Harmony from 15 participating countries from the Asia and Pacific region.