Anthony Poon

Anthony Poon (1945 - 2006) was an abstract artist and sculptor. Perhaps best known for his Colour Frequency Wave Series, which started in the late 70s, it was in year 1983 that he won a local art competition with one of his Wave paintings, which helped to raise his profile and make him a sought-after artist for public commissions. In retrospect, Poon had studied at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts between 1961 and 1964, where his early works demonstrate the influence of Cheong Soo Pieng, one of Singapore’s pioneer modern painters and one of his teachers. In 1967, Poon went to England to further his studies and was exposed to a vibrant world of new art theories. Thus when Poon returned to Singapore in 1971, he began to embrace this new form in his practice.

Alongside his art career, Poon sat on the specialist panels of many art advisory boards, including the National Arts Council in Singapore. He was also a member of the Third Singapore Note and Coin Advisory Committee, assisting in the design of new currency notes and coins. In 1990, he was awarded the Cultural Medallion for achieving artistic excellence.