Gog Sing Hooi



Singapore Infopedia

Background

Gog Sing Hooi (b. 1933, Guangdong, China–d. 11 February 1994, Singapore)1 was one of Singapore’s pioneer watercolour painters. He was known for his transparent watercolour depictions of Singapore street scenes and of the Singapore River.2 He helped cofound the Singapore Watercolour Society in 1969 and was a strong supporter of the watercolour art form.3

Early life
An only child, Gog was born in the Chaozhou village of Fengxi in Guangdong province, southern China. His father died of malaria when he was almost a year old. At the age of five, he moved to Penang, Malaya, with his mother to live with relatives. Because of the Japanese Occupation (1942–45), he did not begin his studies until the age of 12, spending his childhood helping out at his relative’s rubber plantation and vegetable farm.4

After completing his primary and secondary school education, Gog became a teacher in Kedah before moving to Singapore in 1957 to enrol at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). While pursuing his interest in art at NAFA, he also taught at Tuan Mong Primary School and studied at the Singapore Teachers’ Training College. He graduated from NAFA in 1962, and married Tan Lee Ching that same year.5

Career
Gog began his artistic journey with caricature drawings and portraiture in his teens. Not long after, he ventured into transparent watercolour painting and remained faithful to it all his life. This medium necessitates the mix of colours with water, unlike the denser body-colour method in which pigments are mixed with opaque white to obtain different shades. Transparent watercolour painting employs thin washes that allow the whiteness of the paper to shine through, giving the subject depicted a clear luminosity.6

The Singapore River was a favourite subject of Gog’s work. He and fellow painters would meet on Sundays to paint at the riverbank. Other outdoor subjects included Chinese temples and Singapore street scenes from the 1970s and ’80s, some of which no longer exist today.7 Gog also painted landmarks such as Coleman Bridge. The bridge brought back fond memories for him as he used to visit the area when courting his wife.8

Although he never became a full-time artist and remained a teacher for pragmatic reasons, Gog’s technical virtuosity is undisputed. Discerning art patrons, such as the late former president Ong Teng Cheong, were collectors of his works. A champion of the art of watercolour painting, Gog was one of the persistent voices that called for the creation of the Singapore Watercolour Society in the 1960s. He was an active member of the society throughout his life and sat on various society committees. He was also instrumental in the artistic development of younger members, mentoring them during those Sunday sessions by the Singapore River.9

Gog taught for over 30 years at various schools before retiring, when he was finally able to paint full-time.10

Death

Shortly after retirement, Gog succumbed to complications from cancer surgery and passed away at the age of 61 on 11 February 1994.11

Selected exhibitions12
1980: Singapore Art Exhibition, Bahrain and Dubai, United Arab Emirates / 5th Festival of Asian Arts, Hong Kong / First solo exhibition, Mandarin Hotel, Singapore
1981: First Exhibition of Asian Art, Bahrain
1981–82: ASEAN travelling exhibition
1984: Kobe Niki Art Exhibition, Japan
1988: Collection of Asia Watercolours Exhibition, Osaka, Japan / Seoul Olympic ’88 International Watercolour Exhibition, South Korea / Asian Watercolour Exhibition, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia / Ishikawa Prefecture Museum Exhibition, Japan
1989: 20 Singapore Artists exhibition for New York Art Expo, USA / Bru-Sin Art Exhibition, Brunei
1992: Mother of the Artists – Della Butcher exhibition, Singapore13
1996: Gog Sing Hooi’s Watercolours, 4th President’s Charity Art Exhibition, Singapore (posthumous)14

Family15
Wife: Tan Lee Ching
Children: Two sons, Gog Meng Hee and Gog Meng Sek, and a daughter, Gog Soon Joo



Author

Alicia Yeo



References
1. The President’s Office and Singapore Watercolour Society, Gog Sing Hooi, 1933–1994: A dedicated Singapore watercolourist, with an introduction by Chia Wai Hon (Singapore: President’s Office [and] Singapore Watercolour Society, 1996), 9. (Call no. RSING 759.95957 GOG).

2. Ong Sor Fern, “Highlights from the 26 works donated to the National Gallery by DBS Bank,” Straits Times, 3 April 2014, http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/highlights-from-the-26-works-donated-to-the-national-gallery-by-dbs-bank.
3. The President’s Office and Singapore Watercolour Society, Gog Sing Hooi, 5.
4. The President’s Office and Singapore Watercolour Society, Gog Sing Hooi, 9.
5. The President’s Office and Singapore Watercolour Society, Gog Sing Hooi, 11.
6. The President’s Office and Singapore Watercolour Society, Gog Sing Hooi, 11–12.
7. The President’s Office and Singapore Watercolour Society, Gog Sing Hooi, 15, 18.
8. Leong Weng Kam, “Art Museum Gets 2 of Gog’s Best,” Straits Times, 14 September 1996, 7. (From NewspaperSG)
9. The President’s Office and Singapore Watercolour Society, Gog Sing Hooi, 5, 7, 15, 20.
10. Leong Weng Kam, “Posthumous Tribute to Watercolourist,” Straits Times, 30 September 1996, 4. (From NewspaperSG)
11. T.K. Sabapathy, “Gog Sing Hooi Left His Mark on Singapore Art,” Straits Times, 25 February 1994, 15. (From NewspaperSG)
12. Qiu Zeming, ed., 新加坡美术家名鉴 [Contemporary Singapore artists] (Singapore: Xinjiapo yi shu xie hui, 1990), 68. (Call no. Chinese RSING 759.95957 CON)
13. “Grand Old Lady of Art,” Straits Times, 24 April 1992, 12. (From NewspaperSG)
14. Leong, “Posthumous Tribute to Watercolourist.”
15. Obituary: Gog Sing Hooi, Straits Times, 12 February 1994, 38. (From NewspaperSG)



The information in this article is valid as of October 2023 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

 


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