Alfian bin Sa’at (b. 18 July 1977, Singapore–), commonly known as Alfian Sa’at, is a prominent English- and Malay-language playwright, poet and short-story writer in Singapore and Malaysia. Known for his politically charged works, Alfian is notable for being the ...
Built in 1909 by the Alkaff family, one of three prominent Arab property owners in Singapore at the time, Alkaff Arcade was designed by Donald McLeod Craik of architectural firm Swan and MacLaren. Known for its unique Moorish style, particularly its two onion domes ...
Alkaff Mansion is a 19th century colonial bungalow located on a hill at 10 Telok Blangah Green. Built in 1918 by a member of the prominent Alkaff family as a weekend house, it became known for hosting high society parties in the 1930s. The mansion once served ...
Amanda Heng Liang Ngim (born 1951, Singapore), better known simply as Amanda Heng, is a contemporary artist known for her collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to art. Heng’s works typically explore real-world social issues in the context of Singapore’s ...
Anita Sarawak (b. 23 March 1952, Singapore–) is a professional entertainer known for her showmanship, powerful vocals and energetic performances. A versatile and talented artiste, Anita has performed in film, television and on stage. She is one of the first Asian ...
Anthony Then (b. 16 June 1944, Singapore–d. 16 December 1995, Singapore), also known as Tony, was a dancer, choreographer and dance teacher who was instrumental in the professionalisation of dance in Singapore. Together with Goh Soo Khim, he founded the Singapore ...
Formal art and music education programmes in Singapore were established by the British colonial government in the 1920s and ’30s respectively. Private Chinese-medium schools also offered art education through courses run by professional artists. After Singapore ...
Folk singer-songwriter Art Fazil is often regarded as Singapore’s Bob Dylan. Like Dylan, he is known for singing socially conscious songs accompanied by the acoustic guitar and harmonica. Art writes and sings both Malay and English songs, and has written many songs ...
Art in Transit is a programme in which artworks are seamlessly integrated within the environs of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations. Approved by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in 1997, the programme was first unveiled to the public in 2003.
The Arts Theatre of Singapore (新加坡艺术剧场) is a Chinese-language theatre company whose beginnings can be traced to 1955 when it was established as the Singapore Amateur Players (SAP). In 1995, the SAP registered itself as a non-profit organisation, switched its focus ...
Brother Joseph McNally (b. 10 August 1923, County Mayo, Ireland–d. 27 August 2002, Ballintubber, County Mayo, Ireland), was a brother from the Catholic La Salle Christian Brotherhood who dedicated 37 years of his life to teaching in Singapore and Malaysia. He later ...
The Capitol Theatre, located at the junction of Stamford Road and North Bridge Road, opened in 1930 and was considered one of the finest cinemas of that era. Originally owned by the Namazie family, Capitol Theatre, along with the four-storey adjoining building ...
Formed in 1953, Cathay-Keris Studio was one of two key film producers (the other being Shaw Brothers) during the peak of filmmaking in Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s. The studio produced many black-and-white Malay films, and later also had co-productions with ...
Charles Emmerson (b. 1835 or 1836, United States of America–d. 2 June 1883, Singapore) was a veterinarian. However, he is better remembered as the founder and operator of Emmerson’s Tiffin Rooms, a popular restaurant regarded as a local institution in Singapore ...
Chen Wen Hsi (b. 9 September 1906, Guangdong, China–d. 17 December 1991, Singapore) was one of Singapore’s pioneer artists. A prolific painter who worked in a range of styles, Chen won acclaim for combining Western art with Chinese brush strokes in his paintings. ...
Chew Kok Chang 周国灿 (b. 1934, Guangdong, China–), otherwise known as Zhou Can (周粲), or other pen names such as Qiu Ling 丘陵, Yu Yin 郁因, Lin Zhong Yue 林中月, Zhou Zhi Xian 周志翔, and Ai Jia 艾佳, is a well-known Chinese author in Singapore. He is a versatile writer, whose ...
Chia Hwee Pheng (b. 1957, Singapore–) is an accomplished Chinese poet and novelist who writes under the pseudonym of Xi Ni Er. Chia has won many major literary awards, including the Golden Lion Literary Award and the National Book Development Council of Singapore’s ...
Chinese street storytelling was a popular form of entertainment in Singapore during the colonial period and up till the 1960s. The storytellers set up makeshift premises in various locations in the evening, and read aloud in dialect to paying customers seated around ...
Chong Fah Cheong (b. 20 January 1946, Singapore–) is a self-taught sculptor who is locally and internationally recognised for his iconic sculptures that reflect his whimsical disposition. Considered one of Singapore’s pioneer sculptors, Chong currently resides ...
Choo Hwee Lim (b. 28 September 1931, Singapore–d. 12 May 2008, Singapore) was an important figure in the development of choral music and opera in Singapore. An accomplished baritone singer and music teacher, Choo spotted, encouraged and nurtured once-unknown music ...
Christopher Henry Rothwell Allen (b. 1933, Bombay, India–d. 2004, United Kingdom), more popularly known as Christopher Allen or Chris Allen, was an amateur actor and director who came to Singapore in 1954. He was a prominent member of the expatriate theatre company, ...
Chua Ek Kay (b. 1947, Guangdong, China–d. 8 February 2008, Singapore) was an artist who is known for bridging Eastern and Western art. He was the first Chinese-ink painter to win the United Overseas Bank Painting of the Year Award in 1991. Chua trained under Singaporean ...
Considered one of Singapore’s foremost English artistes, singer-songwriter Corrinne May has enjoyed critical and popular success in Singapore and regionally. As at 2014, she has released five albums.
The Cultural Medallion honours individuals who have achieved excellence in the fields of literary arts, performing arts, visual arts and film, and contributed to Singapore’s cultural environment. The award is conferred by the president of Singapore and administered ...
David Tay Poey Cher (b. 9 July 1945, Singapore–) is one of the most influential figures in the Singapore photography scene. He was the first Asian to be elected to the Directory Board of the International Federation of Photographic Art. From 1990 to 2013, Tay served ...
Diana Chua Be Ie (b. 3 November 1963, Singapore–) is an art educator and artist whose focus was in printmaking. Her works are usually social commentaries about modern life. An outstanding female artist of the 1980s and 1990s, she made headlines together with other ...
Dikir barat is a style of Malay choral singing popular in Singapore and Malaysia. With a flexible format that incorporates singing, poetry, movement and music, dikir barat is a form of entertainment that cuts across various segments of society.
Dondang sayang is a traditional poetic art form mainly associated with the Malay and Peranakan (Straits Chinese) communities in Singapore and Malaysia. The term is derived from the Malay words dondang or dendang, meaning “to sing”, and sayang, which encompasses ...
Drama festival was first launched in August 1978 as part of goverment initiatives to invigorate the local arts scene.
Dream Academy Productions (DAP) is a theatre production company established by local actress and comedian Selena Tan in 2000. The company is well known for its comedic productions featuring music and satire, such as the popular Dim Sum Dollies and Broadway Beng. ...
Emma Yong Oi-Mun (b. 20 January 1975, Malaysia–d. 2 May 2012, Singapore) was a well-loved stage performer. The versatile bilingual actress performed in a wide range of shows: from pantomimes and comedies to dramas and musicals to experimental theatre. She was a ...
Eng Tow (b. 1 October 1947, Singapore–) has been lauded as one of Singapore’s most outstanding local female artists of the 1980s. She began her career as a tapestry artist working with different textiles but later ventured into other art forms such as printmaking ...
Foo Tee Jun (b. 15 December 1935, Singapore–) is a highly regarded and artistically distinguished salon photographer. His involvement with professional photography began in 1963. Over the years, Foo perfected his skills and experimented with various darkroom techniques ...
Frank Dorrington Ward (b. 17 April 1885, Hastings, England–d. 1972) was chief architect of the Public Works Department in the Straits Settlements from 1928 to 1939. Prominent landmarks designed by Ward include the former Kallang Airport terminal building, Clifford ...
Getai (歌台), which literally means “song stage” in Chinese, is believed to have originated during the Japanese Occupation at the New World Amusement Park. It became a popular form of mass entertainment in the 1950s with getai established at various amusement parks. ...
Goh Beng Kwan (b. 26 December 1937, Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia–) is a pioneer Singapore modern artist known for his distinctive approach to abstraction and collage, as seen from his artworks. For his contributions to the local art scene, Goh was awarded the Cultural ...
Goh Eng Wah (b. 1923, Muar, Johor, Malaysia–d. 5 September 2015, Singapore) was one of the pioneers of Singapore's film industry. He founded Eng Wah Organisation (now known as Eng Wah Global) in 1946, a major film distributor and cinema operator in Singapore specialising ...
The Grand Hotel de l’Europe was one of the finest hotels in Singapore at the turn of the 20th century. It was situated at the corner of the Esplanade (Padang) and High Street, next to the Municipal Building (City Hall) and overlooked the Esplanade. The hotel’s ...
The Gunong Sayang Association, or Persatuan Gunong Sayang in Malay, is a Peranakan (Straits Chinese) social club that aims to promote Peranakan performing arts. It has played an instrumental role in preserving the Peranakan version of dondang sayang, the singing ...
Han Lao Da (b. 22 October 1947, Singapore–), original name Han Yong Yuan, is a Mandarin playwright, theatre director and xiangsheng (or crosstalk, which is a traditional Chinese comedic performance featuring witty dialogue) pioneer who has worked in the local Mandarin ...
Dismissed workers of the Hock Lee Amalgamated Bus Company went on strike from 25 April 1955. Joined by supporters and Chinese middle school students, these strikers picketed the bus depot and disrupted bus services. Police were called in to disperse the crowds ...
Independent (commonly shortened to “indie”) music encompasses a wide range of musical genres, including rock, pop, metal and folk. Indie music is associated with alternative, non-mainstream productions and forms of distribution. Increasingly, the term “indie music” ...
Iskandar Jalil (b. 5 January 1940, Singapore–) is an eminent local ceramist who uses fine clay to develop bowls and pots into artworks, integrating Japanese and Islamic styles. Iskandar was awarded the Cultural Medallion for Visual Arts in 1988.
Jacintha Abisheganaden (b. 3 October 1957, Singapore–) is an accomplished Singapore actress, entertainer and jazz singer. The daughter of musician and Cultural Medallion recipient Alex Abisheganaden, Jacintha’s early training in music stood her in good stead for ...
Jennifer Tham Sow Ying (b. 1962, Singapore–) is best known as the conductor of the Singapore Youth Choir (now the SYC Ensemble Singers, or SYC-ES), which she has led since 1986. Trained as a composer, Tham has been actively involved in educating young musicians ...
Dubbed Singapore’s King of Swing, Jeremy Ian Monteiro (b. 20 June 1960, Singapore–) is an internationally acclaimed jazz musician. Since the 1970s, Monteiro has performed in Singapore as a resident artiste or with bands, and in many festivals worldwide. Monteiro ...
Joanna Wong Quee Heng (b. 1939, Penang, Malaya–) is a leading exponent of Cantonese opera in Singapore. Although an amateur artist, Wong’s artistic skills have won her praises from Beijing opera scholars. She has also pioneered many novel ideas to promote Cantonese ...
John Turnbull Thomson (b. 10 August 1821, Glororum, England–d. 16 October 1884, Invercargill, New Zealand) was the Government Surveyor of the Straits Settlements from 1841 to 1853. He made a number of important contributions during his 12 years in Singapore, including ...
Juliana Yasin (b. 1970, Singapore–d. 27 August 2014, Singapore) was a multidisciplinary artist whose mediums of choice include painting, installation, video and performance art. Her works deal with themes such as movement, identity, displacement, freedom and socio-political ...
Koh Mun Hong (许梦丰) (b. 1952, Singapore–) is a self-taught artist and poet, adept in Chinese ink painting, Chinese calligraphy and Chinese classical poetry. He has been exhibiting his works both in Singapore and overseas since the 1970s and is active in several ...
Founded in the 19th century by a Chinese businessman-scholar, Lim Kong Chuan (林光铨), Koh Yew Hean Press (古友轩印务私人有限公司) was possibly one of the earliest Chinese printing houses in Singapore. The press was well known for publishing two Chinese-language newspapers and ...
Kreta Ayer People’s Theatre (牛车水人民剧场) was built in 1969, funded by public donations. The theatre was revamped several times, including a complete overhaul that was completed in May 1979, before it became the well-equipped theatre seen on 30A Kreta Ayer Road today. ...
Lee Hock Moh (b. 1947, Singapore–) is a Singaporean artist whose detailed and vibrant orchid paintings have won him accolades both locally and internationally. Trained in traditional Chinese ink and Western oil painting, Lee is considered a second-generation artist ...
Lee Lim (b. 1931, China–d. 12 January 1989, Singapore), was an icon in the field of artistic photography, both locally and internationally. His landscape photography had a distinctive Asian style that strongly resembled Chinese painting. He was also an expert in ...
Lee Wen (b. 1957, Singapore–d. 3 March 2019, Singapore) was a multidisciplinary artist and one of Singapore’s most internationally recognised contemporary artists. A local pioneer of performance art who is best known for his Yellow Man series, Lee promoted the ...
Lew Poo Chan (b. 1943, Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Malaya), better known by her pseudonym Dan Ying, is a well-known poet in Chinese-speaking communities around the world. Her poetry has won a number of literary awards and has been translated into several languages. For ...
Li Rulin (李汝琳; b. 5 July 1914, Qinyang, Henan, China–d. 17 March 1991, Singapore), real name Lee Hung Pen (李宏贲), was one of Singapore’s Chinese literary pioneers. During his lifetime, Li also published under a number of other pseudonyms, including Li Lin, Li Jiguang, ...
Liang Wern Fook (Dr) (b. 1964, Singapore) is a writer, singer-composer and educator in Chinese literature and the Chinese language. A pioneer of xinyao, a genre of Mandarin songs that is unique to Singapore, Liang’s name is synonymous with the xinyao movement. ...
Library@Esplanade, officially opened on 12 September 2002, is Singapore's first performing arts library. It is located in the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay building at 8 Raffles Avenue, #03-01, Singapore 039802. It is one of the few libraries in the world to ...
Lim Cheng Hoe (b. 24 May 1912, Xiamen, China–d. 3 September 1979, Singapore) was a pioneering watercolourist in Singapore and one of the founders of the Singapore Watercolour Society. Unlike some of his contemporaries from the Nanyang group who were educated in ...
Lim Fei Shen (b. 1945, Singapore–) is a modern dance pioneer in Singapore. Both a dancer and a choreographer, Lee has produced works that show a creative blend of Western and Asian influences. She is also known for her multidisciplinary projects that involve different ...
Lim Hak Tai (林学大) (b. 28 May 1893, Xiamen, Fujian, China–d. 14 February 1963, Singapore) was one of Singapore’s pioneer artists and art educators. He was one of the main proponents of the Nanyang style of art in terms of technique and subject matter. He was also ...
Lim Yau (born 1952, Singapore) is a prominent orchestral and choral conductor whose long conducting career has included stints as Resident Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and Music Director of the Singapore Symphony Chorus (SSC). He is reputed ...
Lim Yew Kuan (b. 16 November 1928, Xiamen, China–d. 9 May 2021, Singapore) was a well-known second-generation Nanyang Style painter, printmaker and sculptor. Lim was also an arts educator who taught art for four decades, including a stint as the second principal ...
Lin Hsin Hsin is a Singaporean digital media pioneer. With degrees in mathematics and computer science, Lin is an IT inventor, artist, poet and composer.
Singapore’s array of literary awards and prizes recognises writers and works of literary merit. The honours are applicable to works in all four official languages of Singapore – English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil – and genres such as poetry and drama. The official ...
Lou Mee Wah (b. 30 March 1951, Singapore–) is a Cantonese opera singer well known for her role as a male impersonator. She has received many glowing reviews for playing sheng, or male roles, ranging from gentle scholars to fearsome warriors. Her teacher, mentor ...
Low Ing Sing (b. 1924, Sibu, Sarawak–d. 2002, Singapore) was a pioneer of Mandarin drama and theatre in Singapore. An all-rounded theatre practitioner, Low acted, wrote and directed plays, and was also a drama trainer. Furthermore, he was an established writer ...
Lynnette Seah Mei Tsing (b. 1957, Singapore–), better known simply as Lynnette Seah, is an internationally acclaimed violinist. She has been a member of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) since its inception in 1979 and is currently its co-leader. An ambassador ...
Mohammed Saffri Bin Abdul Manaf (b. 3 November 1952, Singapore–) is a scriptwriter, actor, director and comedian. Much of his work has been aired on the local Malay television and radio. A bangsawan (Malay opera) enthusiast, M. Saffri has also written, acted in ...
Music festivals play an important role in developing audiences and Singapore’s music scene. Grouping music events into a festival results in an intense and exciting audience experience. Music festivals have been staged in Singapore since the early 20th century. ...
Max Le Blond (b. 1950, Singapore–) was conferred the Cultural Medallion for Theatre in 1987. At age 37, he was then among the youngest to receive the award. At a time when the stage was predominantly Anglo-centric, Le Blond relentlessly pushed for “a truly Singaporean ...
Medium Rare, Singapore’s first full-length English-language film to be released locally, was released in local cinemas in November 1991. Loosely based on the Adrian Lim ritual murders in the early 1980s, the film was shot and produced in Singapore. Medium Rare ...
The National Arts Council (NAC) was established as a statutory board on 17 August 1991 to spearhead the development of the literary, performing and visual arts in Singapore.1 The council’s mission is to help nurture the arts and make it an integral part of the ...
The Singapore government has commissioned national songs since the 1980s. The early songs featured strong nationalistic themes and resembled advertising jingles. Since then, national songs have taken on a pop sensibility and become a showcase for local musical ...
With its wide facade and large dome, the National Museum of Singapore has been a prominent landmark on Stamford Road for over a century. It is Singapore’s oldest existing museum, currently devoted to the general history of Singapore.
The National Theatre was a public theatre used for performances, concerts and conferences that was situated at the corner of Clemenceau Avenue and River Valley Road. Built to commemorate Singapore's achievement of self-government in 1959, it was also known as the ...
Objectifs Centre Ltd is a non-profit visual arts space in Singapore that is dedicated to film and photography. Established in 2003, it is widely regarded as an establishment that champions local films and photography in Singapore and overseas, and nurtures photographers, ...
P. Krishnan (b. 1932, Johor, Malaya–), also known as Puthumaithasan, is regarded as one of Singapore’s Tamil literary pioneers. He is a prolific short-story writer, playwright, poet and radio broadcaster, with an oeuvre comprising more than 40 stories, 100 essays ...
PERKAMUS (Persatuan Karyawan Muzik Melayu Singapura; The Society of Singers, Musicians and Professionals of the Malay Industry in Singapore) is a non-profit organisation established in January 1994 to support musicians and composers in Singapore’s Malay music industry. ...
Formed in 1998, Plastique Kinetic Worms (PKW) is a contemporary art collective co-founded by artists Vincent Leow and Yvonne Lee. By showcasing Singaporean contemporary art at its gallery as well as at local and international arts festivals, the non-profit art ...
Quek Ling Kiong (郭勇德) (b. 1967, Singapore–) is a percussionist and the resident conductor of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO). Winner of the National Art Council’s Young Artist Award in 2002 and recipient of the NAC Cultural Fellowship in 2013, Quek is committed ...
Rahimah Rahim (b. 9 December 1955–) is a veteran performer in the local music scene, and one of the most popular entertainers of the 1970s and 1980s. Rahimah has recorded more than a dozen albums. Following a hiatus from 1989 to 2002, Rahimah returned to show business ...
Rufino Soliano (b. 10 January 1932, Singapore–22 April 2017, Singapore) was an accomplished musician, composer and conductor. He was the former head of the now-defunct Singapore Broadcasting Corporation Orchestra. Soliano had been active in the local music scene ...
S. Chandrasekaran (b. 29 November 1959, Singapore–) is a visual artist who works across different disciplines and mediums. He is known for the intense physical nature of his performances and the incorporation of elements from the biological sciences into his p ...
Salleh Japar (b. 1962, Singapore–) is a Singaporean contemporary artist who came into prominence in the late 1980s. He uses multiple mediums in his artworks which include sculptures, installations and paintings. Salleh has participated in more than 60 programmes ...
Shaw Organisation is best known as a major player in the Asian film industry since the 1920s, being involved in the production, distribution and exhibition of films. With studios in Shanghai, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, Shaw was a pioneer and revolutionary ...
Shenton Thomas Whitelegge Thomas (Sir) (b. 10 October 1879, London, England–d. 15 January 1962, London, England), more popularly known as Sir Shenton Thomas, was the last Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Straits Settlements and High Commissioner of the Federated ...
Shui Lan (b. 1957, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China–), also known as Lan Shui, is an internationally acclaimed conductor. He was appointed music director of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) in 1997 and has been credited with transforming the SSO into a ...
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Band provides musical support for state and military functions and is the musical ambassador of the SAF. The band traces its beginnings to the Singapore Military Forces (SMF) staff band that was formed in 1958. Since then, the band ...
The Singapore Biennale is an international contemporary visual arts exhibition. It aims to promote Singapore art and culture to the world, boost the art and creative industries in Singapore, and provide a platform for locals to experience art. First held in September ...
On 13 February 1875, the Singapore Criminal Prison located between Stamford Road and Bras Basah Road was the site of a serious breakout led by about 60 prisoners trying to escape from the prison. In the violence that ensued, 16 warders and numerous prisoners were ...
The Singapore International Festival of Arts is an annual highlight of Singapore’s cultural calendar. It began as the Singapore Festival of Arts in 1977 and was a biennial event up till 1999. Started at a time when Singapore was often called a “cultural desert”, ...
The Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) is made up of young musicians from various schools across Singapore, from primary to tertiary levels, including students in international schools. The orchestra is managed by the Ministry of Education and aims to provide ...
The first Singapore River Buskers’ Festival was held along the Singapore River from 15 to 23 November 1997. Organised by The A Team Promotions in collaboration with the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB), the festival was part of the three-month Celebration ...
The Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is a fulltime professional orchestra that officially debuted in 1979 as Singapore’s national symphony orchestra. The SSO first trained under the baton of then resident conductor and music director Choo Hoey in 1979. Since ...
The Singapore Watercolour Society (SWS) was established on 18 August 1969 to promote watercolour painting in Singapore and provide local watercolourists with greater opportunities to showcase their works. The society has since held exhibitions regularly in Singapore ...
The first television station in Singapore, Television Singapura, was launched on 15 February 1963. It merged with Radio Singapura to form Radio and Television Singapore (RTS) following Singapore’s independence on 9 August 1965. On 1 February 1980, RTS was corporatised ...
Choy Sivanandan (b. 1947, Singapore–4 March 2018, Perth, Australia), better known as Siva Choy, was a musician, humourist and writer. While he was famous for the popular 1991 comedy album Why U So Like Dat?, the multi-instrumentalist was also a pioneer of blues ...
The Society of Chinese Artists (SOCA) was established in 1935. It is one of the earliest art associations in Singapore, alongside the Singapore Art Club (新加坡美术俱乐部, established in around 1882) and Commercial Art Institute (新加坡美术广告研究会, established in 1937). SOCA’s ...
The South East Asia Cultural Festival was held in Singapore from 8 to 15 August 1963. It featured a series of performances involving about 1,500 artistes from 11 Asian countries. The main events were held at the National Theatre, which has since been demolished, ...
Sri Temasek is a 19th century bungalow designated as the prime minister’s official residence. Formerly the residence of the colonial secretary, the house has been unoccupied since 1959 though during the 1960s and 1970s it was regularly used for meetings and official ...
Stanley Warren (b. 1917, London, England–d. 20 February 1992, Bridport, England), a bombardier with the 135th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, was known as the painter of the murals in St Luke’s Chapel of the Roberts Barracks in Changi while interned as a prisoner-of-war ...
Tan Choh Tee (b. 1942, Guangdong, China–) is a prominent artist known for his impressionist-style oil paintings depicting still life as well as landscapes from a bygone era in Singapore’s history. For his contributions to the local arts scene, Tan was awarded the ...
Tan Kian Por (陈建坡; b. 26 November 1949, Chaozhou, China–d. 16 August 2019, Singapore) was a Chinese calligrapher, painter and seal carver. His paintings have a distinctive style, and have been displayed in major art galleries in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, China, ...
Tan Siah Kwee (b. 6 October 1948, Chaoan District, Guangdong Province, China–) is an accomplished Chinese calligrapher and an active promoter of the traditional art of Chinese calligraphy. His calligraphy works and tireless efforts in creating awareness and interest ...
Tan Teng Kee (b. 1937, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia–) is a sculptor and painter, specialising in abstract works depicting space, flow and movement. He is regarded as a pioneer in the history of metal sculpture in Singapore, and was one of the first in the country ...
Tanya Chua (蔡健雅) (b. 28 January 1975, Singapore–) is a critically acclaimed Singapore Mandopop singer-songwriter who emerged on the music scene in the 1990s. Effectively bilingual in both English and Mandarin, Tanya gained popular success mainly in Taiwan and has ...
Taufik Batisah (b. 10 December 1981, Singapore–) is a singer, songwriter and music producer. After winning the first Singapore Idol – a television singing contest – in 2004, he enjoyed popular success with a series of albums. Beyond Singapore, Taufik has also gained ...
Tay Bin Wee (b. 1926–d. 13 July 2000, Singapore) was a prominent actor and director in the Mandarin theatre scene in Singapore between the 1950s and 1980s. He co-founded the Singapore Amateur Players (now known as the Arts Theatre of Singapore), a Mandarin theatre ...
Tay Teow Kiat (Dr) (b. 1947, Singapore–) is a musician and conductor. Considered a pioneer and the founding father of Chinese orchestral music in Singapore, Tay established and built up various leading Chinese orchestras in Singapore and is a prominent conductor ...
Teng Mah Seng (b. 1915, Fujian province, China–d. 5 December 1992, Singapore) was a musician, lyricist and composer. He was hailed as the saviour of nanyin music, an ancient form of Chinese opera music that dates back to the seventh-century Tang Dynasty. Teng is ...
Teo Bee Yen (b. 1950, Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China–) is an acclaimed photographer and philatelist. Although Teo ventured into photography only in the mid-1990s, he was, by 1998, already listed as one of the top 10 photographers in the world by the Photographic ...
Teo Eng Seng (张永生) (b. 14 December 1938, Singapore–) was a recipient of the Cultural Medallion in 1986 for his contributions to visual arts. In 1960, The Singapore Free Press described Teo as “a youth who holds the record of being the first schoolboy in Singapore ...
The Thau Yong Amateur Musical Association (陶融儒乐社) is a musical group formed in 1931 and registered as a society in 1962. It remains active today, performing Waijiang (外江) and Teochew music and opera concerts regularly.
The Arts Housing Scheme is a project under the National Arts Council (NAC). It was introduced in 1985 by the former Ministry of Community Development to support local artists and arts activities. Recognising the scarcity and high cost of land in Singapore, the ...
Established in 1949, The Singapore Art Society (SAS) is considered the first multicultural art society in Singapore. The society aims to foster the practice and appreciation of art in Singapore. SAS organises regular art exhibitions and overseas painting tours. ...
Thirunalan Sasitharan (b. 1958, Singapore–), also known as Sasi, is an actor, art critic, arts educator, activist, former journalist and former philosophy teacher. Besides being an outstanding actor, Sasitharan is one of the foremost thinkers in the local arts ...
Yeh Tsung (b. 17 May 1950, Shanghai, China–), better known as Tsung Yeh, has been the music director of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) since 2002. Currently also the music director of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra in the United States (US), Yeh is the ...
The Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall (VTCH) along Empress Place is Singapore’s oldest performing arts venue. Gazetted as a national monument on 14 February 1992, the VTCH comprises two blocks of building constructed more than 43 years apart, in 1862 and 1905, ...
Vivien Goh (born 1948, Singapore) is the daughter of the late Goh Soon Tioe, a pioneering violinist, music teacher and impresario who played a key role in the development of classical music in Singapore. Like her father, Goh is an accomplished violinist whose musical ...
W!LD RICE is a professional theatre company started in 2000 by actor, playwright and director Ivan Heng. Staging shows in Singapore and abroad, the company brings Singaporean theatre to international audiences and provides a platform for local theatrical talents. ...
Wang Sui Pick (b. 1904, Anxi, Fujian, China–d. 18 May 1998, Singapore) was one of the most respected senior calligraphers in Singapore. He was renowned for his finger calligraphy in cao shu, or cursive script. Other than taking part in exhibitions, Wang taught, ...
On 8 December 1953, the colonial government in Singapore issued a white paper titled Chinese Schools Bilingual Education and Increased Aid. The white paper proposed the introduction of bilingual education in Chinese schools in exchange for increased financial aid ...
William Lim Siew Wai (b. 19 July 1932, Hong Kong– d. 6 January 2023) was an architect, urban theorist and activist. The Singapore citizen was involved in the design of many iconic buildings in the country, including the former Singapore Conference Hall and Trade ...
Wong Keen (b. 1942, Singapore–) is a painter largely considered to be the first Singapore artist working in the abstract style and known for his frequent utilisation of a controlled “drip and flow” painting technique. His works incorporate both American abstract ...
World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) Singapore was an arts event that made its debut in 1998 at the Festival of Arts. The first WOMAD to be held in Southeast Asia, the event ran for 10 years in Singapore before it was put on hold in 2007.
Wu Peng Seng (b. 1915, Shantou, China–d. 23 May 2006, Singapore), also known as Goh Peng Seng, was a pioneer photographer in Singapore known for his landscape photography and photographic travelogues. Wu was involved in photography for more than half a decade, ...
Xinyao (新谣) is a genre of music that typically refers to Mandarin ballads composed, written and performed by youths in Singapore. Started in the late 1970s, xinyao was at its peak in the 1980s and propelled many local singers and singer-songwriters to stardom, ...
Yan Hui Chang (b. 1954, Heyang County, Shaanxi Province, China–) is an internationally acclaimed conductor. He has premiered the works of leading Singapore composers, and his international standing has inspired musicians at home and abroad. For his contributions ...
Yeng Pway Ngon (英培安; b. 26 January 1947, Singapore–d. 10 January 2021, Singapore) was a well-known poet, novelist and critic in the Chinese literary scene in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Yeng was a prolific writer, and his works have been translated ...
Ying E Ding (b. 1947, Shanghai, China–), is a dancer and choreographer. He is known for his large-scale dance dramas and innovative approach to Chinese dance. Ying is a much sought-after choreographer and has choreographed a number of dances for the Singapore Arts ...
Zhu Xu (朱绪) (b. 15 November 1909, Quanzhou, Fujian, China–d. 19 December 2007, Singapore), real name Choo Kui Chao (朱季灶), was a pioneering figure in the history of Singapore theatre. A renowned playwright and director, Zhu played an instrumental role in the development ...
Zubir Said (b. 22 July 1907, Bukittinggi, Minangkabau, Sumatra, Indonesia–d. 16 November 1987, Singapore), also affectionately known as Pak Zubir (pak means “father” in Malay) or Mr Mari Kita (the first two words of the Singapore national anthem), was the composer ...