Aw Tee Hong
BORN: 1931
HOMETOWN: WENCHANG, HAINAN PROVINCE, CHINA
LIVED AND WORKED: SINGAPORE
Aw Tee Hong (b. 1931-2021) was a Singaporean based artist who was known for his works in oil and acrylic, watercolour, Chinese ink, charcoal and sculptures.
Born in Wenchang, China, Aw migrated with his parents to Kelantan, Malaysia at the age of 8 and later relocated to Singapore in 1950. Here, he studied art at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and later went on to pursue higher education in art at the China Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, China in 1956.
Aw collaborated with the Singapore Tourism Promotion Board (STPB) during the1980s to create and develop a range of Chinese Opera Masks which later became iconic souvenirs that helped promote Singapore as a tourist destination. Additionally, Aw was often invited by STPB to participate in trade shows in various countries across Asia, the Middle East and Europe to demonstrate the uniqueness and richness of Singapore Art.
In October 2019, one of his oil paintings fetched a record price of SGD 198k at Sotheby’s Auction in Hong Kong.