first coffee-table book on “Singapore Artists”

 

In the 1980s, the Ministry of Culture engaged the arts community in its art promotion efforts by setting up Advisory Committees for Dance, Drama, Choral Music, Instrumental Music, Literary Arts, Photographic Arts, and Visual Arts.  The role of the committees was to advise the Ministry on its art programme and art award nominations while the Singapore Cultural Foundation sought artists’’ views on grant applications.

When I joined the Ministry in 1981, the Visual Arts Advisory Committee functioned in Mandarin.  Chaired by the late pioneer artist Liu Kang, its membership comprised the luminaries of the scene including Chen Wen Hsi, Choo Keng Kwang, Huang Pao Fang, Ho Kok Hoe and Ng Eng Teng.  When the term of the Committee expired a year after I joined, I took the opportunity to balance the composition of the Committee by adding the National Art Gallery’s Art Curator Choy Weng Yang, art teacher Teo Eng Seng, artist Thomas Yeo and Jafaar Latiff.  Sadly, my good intentions provoked remarks that I was “anti-Chinese” but I knew that I was doing the correct thing in a multi-cultural society.    

The idea of publishing a directory of Singapore artists was hatched before I joined the Ministry.  After some months, however, I sensed that the project was not moving partly due to funding constraints but more because Committee members had difficulty in deciding which artists to include in the directory.

Ironically, my ignorance, naïveté and sense of efficiency stood me in good stead in those circumstances. Since I did not know any of the artists and had no preferences or preconceptions of who was good or bad, I adopted a clinical approach by asking every Advisory Committee member to list anonymously on blank pieces of paper, the artists that they thought were worthy of listing in the publication.  After counting up the nominations, we arrived at a list of 48 artists who had clearly been ranked above the others. I invited members to speak up if they felt uncomfortable about any of the names.  While I don’t recall any objection being raised, the question of whether artists engaged by the Ministry, such as art curator Choy Weng Yang, may be included.  My stance was that if they had been admitted into the list of 48, they should not be penalized because of their employment status and so, they were included.    

Invitation Card to 1982 National Day Art Exhibition & Launch of "Singapore Artists"

“Singapore Artists” was launched by Minister of State for Culture Major Fong Sip Chee on 16 Aug 1982 at the opening of the 1982 National Day Art Exhibition. It was co-published by the Singapore Cultural Foundation and Federal Publication. The publication carried a Foreword by Minister for Culture S. Dhanbalan. Its Co-ordinating Editor was art educationist / critic Chia Wai Hon who wrote an “Introduction” while Liu Kang and Choy Weng Yang co-wrote the article on “Singapore Art”. The book cover featuring the ciment fondue skin of Ng Eng Teng’s sculpture “The Heart of Man“ (located at the ASEAN Sculpture Park on Fort Canning) won Federal’s Art Director Lim Ching San a prize at an international book fair.

The “directory” turned out to be  the very first coffee-table book on Singaporean artists.  Thankfully, all the artists published continue to be active , validating the simple selection process we adopted.  In later years, artist Thomas Yeo published “Singapore Artists Speak” and two other publications updating the list of reputable Singapore Artists.

national flower – Vanda Joaquim

    

Genealogy of National Flower

La Germania National Flower Crockery Set

Text on Vanda Joaquim on Teapot

Saucer of La Germania Crockery Set

2008 version of Vanda Joaquim Teapot

Cover of Promotional Brochure

Message from Minister for Culture, Mr S Dhanabalan

A Bed of Vanda Miss Joaquin at Botanical Gardens

Of all our attractions, I never tire of visiting our National Orchid Gardens. The riot of colours around the year thrills me and my visitors alike.  It seems to boast a never-ending supply of surprising new hybrids created honour of visiting dignitaries.

I suspect that with the proliferation of so many newer, more colourful and stronger orchid hybrids, many Singaporeans have forgotten that our National Flower is the Vanda Joaquim.  There is a bed of this rather fragile orchid in our orchid garden but no one seems to talk about it these days.  Although a new orchid hybrid was created to commemorate the 2009 APEC conference, the Joaquim did not feature in any way, certainly not in the locally-designed attire for conference leaders.  

I joined the Ministry of Culture in April 1981,  just after the Vanda Joaquim was named National Flower.  It had been selected by a panel including officials from the Parks & Recreations Department, as part of a larger movement to create national symbols.   I remember public exchanges debating whether Armenian Miss Agnes Joaquim had hybridized the flower or merely chanced to find it in a corner of her garden.

My challenge was to promote the flower and so we systematically wrote to manufacturers, textile producers, dress designers and anyone else we could think of, to use the motif of the flower on their products

Attire featuring the National Flower and other orchids came into vogue eventually with several boutiques producing endless varieties of orchid dresses and shirts.   The orchid shirt eventually found acceptance as formal wear at official events, en par with the long sleeved batik shirts worn by Indonesian and Malaysian dignitaries. 

I found the orchid dress too colourful to my taste but I still love the Vanda Joaquim crockery set that came with the La Germania cooker I bought when I first set up house in mid-1982.  The cooker is long gone but I have kept the crockery in a pristine condition as a tiny reminder that my efforts in promoting the National Flower had borne some fruit.

Zubir Said: His Songs

"Zubir Said: His Songs"

Everyone loves the romance of discovering a long-lost person or item but I’ve always felt that we should be proactive in our documentation and archiving initiatives. Do it! before too much is forgotten or lost.

Our intent to trace and publish the music of notable Singaporean composers dates back to 1982 but work did not really start till around 1987.  I managed to publish a book about our national anthem composer, Zubir Said but did not succeed in publishing the music of the late Charles Lazaroo and Tsao Chieh.

With support from the Singapore Cultural Foundation, we approached Berita Harian to sponsor the Zubir Said book project in 1987. Former Editor, Berita Harian Zainul Abidin Rasheed (who is now Minister of State for Foreign Affairs) who was then a member of the Foundation’s Management Committee, agreed to support the project, setting us on our way. Not only did Berita Harian support the project with cash, they also extended the services of their Deputy Editor Hawazi Daipi and journalist Mardiana Abu Bakar.

Hawazi and I co-chaired the Zubir Said Project Committee and we roped in musicians the late Ahmad Jafaar and Joseph Peters, Mrs Toh-Chua Foo Yong (Singapore Broadcasting Corporation) and representatives from the Oral History Department and National Archives.  We each had our respective roles to play– The musicians would research, select and score the songs of the composer while Oral History’s Dr Daniel Chew would write the story of the National Anthem.  Hawazi chaired the Editorial Committee while Puan Sri Datin Dr Rohana Zubir-Hamid, the daughter of Park Zubir would pen a chapter on her father. I had the pleasure of pulling the project together.

Before we started the project, we visited Pak Zubir in his home in Joo Chiat Place to pay him our respects.  Hawazi wisely advised that we should seek Pak Zubir and Puan Tarminah’s blessings for the project first.  When we shared our plans with Pak Zubir, he expressed his thanks quietly, adding that he did not believe that a day would dawn when Government would recognise him by publishing his songs.  He gave us his blessings for the project.  Regrettably, he did not live to see the completion of the project as he died at the age of 80 years in Nov 1987, about six months after our visit and three years before the book launch.  I felt sad about his demise and hoped that learning about our plan brought him some contentment and happiness in his final months.  I was also grateful that we managed to see him and receive his blessings.

Our two-and-a-half year search including appeals to the public for tapes and records, yielded over 118 songs and we selected 45 for publication. Daniel interviewed Dr Toh Chin Chye, Mr Lee Khoon Choy, Mr Paul Abisheganaden and Yap Yan Hong, the former Superintendent of the Victoria Theatre to piece together the story of the National Anthem.

“Zubir Said: His Songs” was launched on 3 March 1990 by Minister of State for Community Development Dr Seet Ai Mee. With the help of Pak Zubir’s prize student Iskander Ismail, we arranged for veteran singer Kartina Dahari to sing his song “Sayang di Sayang” at the launch.  Her rendering of the song together with Rohana’s heartfelt tribute to her father, brought many tears to the eyes of family and friends present.  A Zubir Said Scholarship Fund was also launched during the Ceremony for the benefit of young musicians.

Invite to the launch of "Zubir Said"His Songs"

Rohana lived in Kuala Lumpur and I updated her on the project whenever she visited her family.  Upon her father’s demise, Rohana offered to donate her father’s personal effects to our National Museum (his attire, pipe, anklong sets, medals) if there was intent to create a Zubir Said Gallery.   Unfortunately, the National Museum was not ready to give such a commitment but in the hope that this would come to fruition in the near future, I secured funds from the Foundation to purchase a new piano for the family in exchange for Pak Zubir’s piano.  The piano was hoisted out of the window of the second level flat as the stairs were too narrow, and brought to the Museum store. Years later when I was working on the Esplanade, I enquired about the piano hoping to place it in a “Zubir Said Studio”.  I was told that piano was in disrepair. 

I sometimes wonder what became of Pak Zubir’s personal belongings.  I hope somehow, they find their way back to our Malay Heritage Museum or National Museum.