Biography

Teo Eng Seng was born in 1938 in Singapore and is one of Singapore’s leading artists. He is one of the most respected second-generation artists in Singapore and is an awardee of the Cultural Medallion, Singapore’s highest arts accolade for his contributions to visual arts and services to art education. With a career spanning over six decades, the octogenarian artist is celebrated for his multi-disciplinary practice, innovative techniques, and significant contribution to art education and shaping the region’s cultural identity.

 

Best known for his invention of “paperdyesculp”, a unique technique of using dyed paper pulp to create works that fuse painting and sculpture, Teo sees paper as an important element to affirm his Asian identity, but what really characterises the artist are his experimental spirit and deep engagement with global events and cultures. Behind his playful expressions in a wide range of media, from oil and watercolor to sculpture and installations, is his close observation of the complexity of our world.

 

His recent solo exhibition at the National Gallery Singapore ran from September 5, 2024 to February 2, 2025 - Teo Eng Seng: We’re Happy. Are You Happy? This was his most expansive solo exhibition yet, celebrating Teo’s profound impact on the Singapore art scene and showcasing over 60 pieces of his works from over the past 70 years. His works are included in prominent public and private collections, including the National Gallery Singapore, Singapore Art Museum, Istana Art Collection, Fukuoka Art Museum, National University of Singapore Art Museum, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and United Overseas Bank.

  • After his first solo exhibition in 1959 in Singapore when he was just a school boy, spurred on by his...
    After his first solo exhibition in 1959 in Singapore when he was just a school boy, spurred on by his British art mentors and his passion to pursue an artistic career, Teo, not wanting to be held back by a lack of funds as he comes from a humble family background, did the unthinkable and travelled by land and sea with the Sea Scouts for two months with the sole aim of getting to the United Kingdom to study art which he eventually self-funded at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, London (now Univeristy of the Arts London, Central Saint Martins) and Birmingham College of Art and Design. Teo completed a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art with an emphasis on painting as a studio practice. To pursue his passion for teaching art, he received his Art Teacher’s Diploma after that.
  • He graduated from Birmingham College of Art & Design in 1967, met and married a fellow Singaporean who was studying...
    He graduated from Birmingham College of Art & Design in 1967, met and married a fellow Singaporean who was studying to be a nurse in Birmingham and lived in the United Kingdom for 10 years, studying and teaching art in London and Birmingham. He returned to Singapore in 1971 and taught at the United World College of South East Asia for 25 years where he was Head of the Art Department and an art examiner for the International Baccalaureate. While at the United World College, Teo began planning for the first Annual Festival of the Arts  which he would organise and participate in every edition of the festival until 1988. The festival was a welcome opportunity at a time when art galleries were few and far in between in Singapore and supported by prominent artists such as Georgette Chen and Cheong Soo Pieng. It would become an international festival supported by embassies and international art collectors.