10 Singapore artists honoured at Istana

SINGAPORE - Ten outstanding arts practitioners were honoured for their commitment to artistic excellence at the Cultural Medallion and Young Artist Award ceremony on Oct 22 at the Istana.

Three of them - Ivan Heng, Mohamed Latiff Mohamed and Tsung Yeh received the Cultural Medallion (CM) from President Tony Tan Keng Yam, while the seven remaining arts practitioners received the Young Artist Award (YAA) from Acting Minister, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Mr Lawrence Wong.

They are Bani Haykal, Chua Yew Kok, Grace Tan, Koh Hui Ling, M. Zaki Razak, Ruth Ling and Zul Othman (ZERO).

The Cultural Medallion, instituted in 1979 by the late President, then Minister of Culture, Mr Ong Teng Cheong, recognises individuals who have attained artistic excellence in the fields of Literary Arts, Performing Arts, Visual Arts and Film, and made a distinction to the nation's arts and culture.

There are 109 Cultural Medallion recipients to date.

grongloh@sph.com.sg

Cultural Medallion 2013 Recipients

1. Ivan Heng (Age, 50)

Ivan Heng (王爱仁) is a dynamic theatre maker and the founder of W!LD RICE Productions, one of Singapore's leading theatre companies that has received critical acclaim at international arts festivals. An accomplished actor and director, Ivan has acted in and directed various theatre productions for which he has been awarded several local and international honours. W!ld Rice, under Ivan's direction, remains dedicated towards nurturing Singapore's next generation of theatre talents, establishing platforms such as the Singapore Theatre Festival and Young and W!ld to develop young talent and champion local writing.

Selected Awards and Achievements

- Recipient of NAC's Young Artist Award (1996)
- Recipient of the Singapore Youth Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts (1998)
- Founder and Artistic Director of W!LD RICE Productions (Since 2000) and the Singapore Theatre Festival (2006, 2008, 2011)
- Lead actor for productions including Emily of Emerald Hill (2011), Weight of Silk on Skin (2011) and La Cage Aux Folles (2012)
- Recipient of Best Director award for Animal Farm from SPH Life! Theatre Awards (2002)
- Creative Director of the National Day Parade (2009) and Singapore Youth Olympic Games Opening and Closing ceremonies (2010)

2. Mohamed Latiff Mohamed (Age, 63)

Mohamed Latiff Mohamed is a versatile Malay-language writer of poems, short stories and novels. His works often depict the life and struggles of the post-Independence Malay community in Singapore, and are widely regarded across the region as radical, honest and distinctively Singaporean. Mr Latiff has won many prestigious literary awards and remains actively involved in the community through his critical writing in the Berita Harian newspapers and as a mentor to young writers in Angkatan Sasterawan '50 (ASAS'50) while constantly expanding his written repertoire. His writings have been featured in numerous anthologies, including 'O' and 'A' level texts for schools in Singapore and Malaysia.

Selected Awards and Achievements

- National Book Development Council of Singapore Book Award for Kota Air Mata from the (1978)
- Tun Seri Lanang Literature Prize by the Malay Language Council Singapore, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (2003)
- Singapore Literature Prize for Bagiju Sepilah Sudah (2004)
- Singapore Literature Prize for Nostalgia yang hilang (2006)
- Singapore Literature Prize for BIla Rama-Rama Patah Sayapnya (2008)
- Recipient of the South East Asian Write Award (2002)
- Deputy President and Youth Wing mentor of ASAS '50 (since 2001)

3. Tsung Yeh (Age, 63)

Tsung Yeh (葉聪) is Music Director and Conductor of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO). He has broadened the orchestra's repertoire, championed the Nanyang style of music, and new compositions, and led the SCO to achieve increasing international acclaim. He is highly sought after for his expertise internationally, as a guest conductor in orchestras and to conduct music master classes. He also remains actively involved in developing young talent through collaborations with young composers and conductors, and showcasing their works, through platforms he established such as the Singapore Youth Chinese Orchestra and the Singapore International Competition for Chinese Orchestral Composition.

Selected Awards and Achievements

- Conductor and Music Director of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (since 2002)
- Established the Singapore Youth Chinese Orchestra (2003) and Singapore International Competition for Chinese Orchestral Composition (2006)
- Notable productions include Instant is a Millennium (2003), Admiral of the Seven Seas (2005), Dream of the Red Chamber (2010) and Mostly Gershwin(2013)
- Cross-genre musical collaborations with local artists include Jazz You Up With Jeremy Monteiro (2010), Kit Chan - My Musical Journey (2011) and The RETURN of the Mad Chinaman with Dick Lee (2012)
- Recipient of the China Golden Record Award for SCO Recording The Silk Road (2009)
- Music Director of Singapore's National Day Parade (2007)

Young Artist Award 2013 Recipients

1. Bani Haykal (Age, 28)

Bani Haykal is a prolific multidisciplinary artist whose work spans the fields of performance, the visual and the literary, using music and sound as its primary medium. Prominent in the local sound art, independent music and spoken word scene, Bani also works extensively as a composer of music accompanying productions by major Singaporean theatre and dance companies. Baniis a strong advocate of the evolution of home-grown music. His creative and technical expertise is underpinned with strong artistic direction and musicality, even as he challenges the local music vocabulary.

Selected Awards and Achievements

- A founding member of b-quartet (since 1999), and a member of The Observatory (since 2012)
- Notable collaborations with local Theatre and Dance companies for live stage include Crossings (The Necessary Stage, 2012), Bleeding Grace (Teater Ekamatra, 2012) and Tahan (Teater Ekamatra, 2013) in collaboration with Teater Ekamatra, 8 Women (Sing'theatre, 2013), and Silences We Are Familiar With (T.H.E. Dance Company, 2012).
- Notable literary works include spoken word studies Ergophobia (2011) how I got lost and died trying (2011), and poetry anthology, Sit Quietly In The Flood (2007)
- Exhibitions include Dormant Music (2013) presented at Platform 3 in Bandung, Indonesia and the Institute of Contemporary Art Singapore at LASALLE (ICAS), and inside the subject (ICAS, 2013).
- Artist-in-Residence at The Art Incubator, Singapore (2012) and Platform3 in Bandung (2012), and Associate Artist of The Substation in the Substation Associate Artist Research Programme (2009-2013), during which he developed Rethinking Music and Collapse (2011 - 2013).

2. Chua Yew Kok (Age, 35)

Chua Yew Kok (蔡友国) is a founding member of the Ding Yi Music Company and an outstanding Pipa soloist who performs in concerts with various ensembles and orchestras in Singapore. He has received local and international awards for his performing excellence and is highly sought after locally as a music performer and mentor. Yew Kok is also an adept educator and currently instructs Pipa students at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts School of Young Talents, as well as six youth orchestras ranging from primary schools to tertiary institutions.

Selected Awards and Achievements

- Winner of the following Pipa Competitions:
- Pipa Open Category (1st Prize) at National Chinese Music Competition (1998)
- Outstanding Performance Award at First Youth Artistry Chinese Traditional Music Instrumental Solo Competition, Beijing (2002)
- Dun Huang (Yun) Cup Pipa Competition (2nd Prize) in Hong Kong (2005)

- Founding member and Pipa soloist of Ding Yi Music Company (2007), which has won:
- Ensemble Open Category (1st Prize) at the National Chinese Music Competition (2008)
- Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod (1st Prize) in Wales, UK (2009)
- Silver Award at the 28th Shanghai Spring International Music Festival (2012)

- Recipient of NAC Arts Scholarship (Postgraduate) (2013)

3. Grace Tan (Age, 34)

Grace Tan (陈斯恩) is a multidisciplinary visual artist whose work spans art, architecture and design. Testament to her achievements in these multiple facets, she has received several national honours for her creative practice in art and design. Grace has been featured in local and overseas platforms, travelling to Venice, Japan, Australia and London. She maintains a good balance between her art practice and her role as a teacher and mentor to aspiring artists. She is currently an educator at the School of the Arts Singapore.

Selected Awards and Achievements

- Founder of the interdisciplinary practice Kwodrent, Singapore (2003 to present)
- Recipient of the President's Design Award, Design of the Year for Building as a Body (2011)
- Recipient of the President's Young Talents Award for which she developed and presented Refuge (SAM, 2013).
- Associate Artist of The Substation in the Substation Associate Artist Research Programme, where she developed MM (2011-2013)
- Notable exhibitions include In the Stillness (Setouchi Triennale, 2013) and 8Q-Rate: School (SAM 8Q, 2008). Commissioned works include Building as a Body (2011) by Singapore Art Museum, Udara Yang Bergerak (2012) by Esplanade and Woven Field (2012) by LTA for Downtown Line, Art in Transit Programme.

4. Koh Hui Ling (Age, 34)

Koh Hui Ling (许慧玲) is a well-known figure in the field of applied theatre in Singapore, and the Associate Artist Director of Dramabox. Hui Ling's work highlights social issues such as problem gambling and family violence, empowering communities and engendering positive change through the art of theatre. At DramaBox, she oversees the company's programmes for youth, education and community-related work. Her expertise is sought after, and she has spoken at international conferences and workshops in countries such as Singapore, Greece, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Selected Awards and Achievements

- Associate Artistic Director of DramaBox (since 2012) and Associate Artistic Director of NeNeMas (since 2004)
- Recipient of the Singapore Youth Award Recipient (2013)
- Notable applied drama and forum theatre productions addressing social issues include A.I.D.S (2005), Problem Gambling (2006), What Matters? (2008) and How Much? Phases 1 and 2 (2011)
- Represented the Asian region for Special Interest Group (Drama/Theatre/Arts Education in Community development and transformation) at the 7th World Congress of the International Drama/Theatre and Education Association in Brazil (2010)

5. M. Zaki Razak (Age, 34)

M. Zaki Razak is a contemporary artist who adopts a participatory approach to his art and weaves humour into the process to engage art audiences. His work spans diverse genres including street art, graphic design and performance art. Through his artistic and curatorial practice, he engages and challenges assumptions about social language and rituals by exploring new ways of art making and expanding the vision of what can be art. He has exhibited locally as well as overseas including Australia, Hong Kong and Thailand.

Selected Awards and Achievements

- Recipient of President's Young Talents Award (2013)
- Associate Artist of The Substation in the Substation Associate Artist Research Programme, where he developed Bl nd: The Darkness of Being and the Age of Darkness (2012 - 2014)
- Notable works include Eat Your Pun Tarts (2007) exhibit at The Substation Gallery, seVen: A Wedding Exhibition (2011) and Revising Art: The Ten Year Series (SAM, 2013)
- Has been featured round the world including Australia, Spain, Thailand and Hong Kong.

6. Ruth Ling (Age, 33)

Ruth Ling (林雅慧) is a music producer, composer and an avid performer. She is known as a versatile, dynamic and innovative arranger, with the ability to create works in a diversity of musical styles and genres. Her keen sensibilities and ability to create moods through music arrangements has sparked off collaborations with award-wining composers for musical theatre such as George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. She has also performed with top international pop music acts including mandarin artists A-Mei and Stefanie Sun.

Selected Awards and Achievements

- Wrote and orchestrated musicals including Singapore Repertory Theatre's Jack and the Beanstalk (2011), Three Little Pigs (2012) and Goldilocks and the Three Bears (2013), and Dick Lee's Fried Rice Paradise: The Musical (2010)
- 1st keyboardist at Stefanie Sun World Tour (2006) and A-Mei World Tour (2012-2013), Arranger of five A-Mei's songs for Amit First World Tour (2010)
- To date, has released five albums, the most recent being Christmas Never Ends (2011).
- Composer/Arranger/Producer of We're on our Way - Youth Olympic Games Singapore Closing Ceremony Theme Song (2010) and theatre soundtracks including Singapore Repertory Theatre's Twelfth Night (2012)

7. Zul Othman (ZERO) (Age, 34)

Zul Othman is a renowned urban artist and founder of urban art collective, RSCLS, who works under the pseudonym ZERO. His works constantly engages the community through elements of pop culture and current affairs. ZERO is also recognised as a visionary in his field through his passionate advocacy for the research, documentation and archival of urban art. Beyond his arts practice, ZERO is actively involved in talks, workshops and mentorship programmes, promoting the urban arts form. He has exhibited locally as well as internationally in countries such as Shanghai and Myanmar. His works are strong, distinctive, sophisticated and demonstrate keen critical awareness.

Selected Awards and Achievements

- Founder and key member of urban art collectives RSCLS (since 2004) and ARTVSTS (2003)
- Nominee for President's Young Talents (2005), under which he presented ZERO/KILAS (SAM 8Q, 2009)
- Associate Artist of The Substation in the Substation Associate Artist Research Programme, culminating in an exhibition The Spectacular Spectacular (2010), where selected works were acquired by the Singapore Art Museum
- Has been featured in Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai (2006), Istanbul Biennale, Turkey (2007), South East Asian Urban Art Event in Myanmar (2013)
- Notable exhibitions include Is This Home Truly? (Artspace@HELUTRANS, 2010), DystoUTOPIA (SAM, 2011) and The Odd Bedfellows (Chan Hampe Galleries, 2013)