The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao featured Cultural Medallion awardee and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) alumnus Siew Hock Meng, who was coached by the esteemed Cheong Soo Pieng.
Pioneer portraitist Siew Hock Meng received the Cultural Medallion award, and he believes that he deserved it doing painting for four decades. When informed that he is to receive the award, Siew’s instinctive reaction is a bland shrug. At 82 years old, the self-professed “arrogant man” thinks it is only natural that he should be conferred the highest cultural award in the land. After painting for more than four decades, “I deserve it”, he said in Mandarin.
Siew was studying at Chung Cheng High School, his teacher praised his paintings, which inspired him. After being recommended by the principal, he enrolled in NAFA at the age of 16 and was coached by Cheong Soo Pieng. His family did not support his painting and only paid for three months of tuition, but he stayed there for a year.
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Source: Lianhe Zaobao © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction