Phang Weng Kiong
BORN: 1958
HOMETOWN: SINGAPORE
LIVES AND WORKS: SINGAPORE
Phang Weng Kiong has been a teacher and practitioner of traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy, and seal-carving, for close to 30 years. He studied Chinese painting under master practitioners by the likes of Mr. Nai Swee Leng, who taught him calligraphy, and Mr. Koh Mun Hong, who offered his mentorship in Chinese painting.
With a great deal of acquired knowledge, Phang has gone on to teach at various institutes, such as the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore Calligraphy Centre, Taoist College (Singapore), and People’s Association Community Clubs, as well as various schools nationwide. Phang has also participated in a range of solo and joint art exhibitions, both regionally and internationally.
Phang adheres to the very traditional characteristics of Chinese painting, with a focus on the genres of calligraphy and birds-and-flowers. He utilizes the “Gong-bi” style in his paintings, meaning "meticulous", and uses highly detailed brushstrokes that delimit details very precisely. A lot of his paintings and calligraphy works are displayed on the traditional, vertically elongated scroll format, however with works such as “Quail” and “Parrot”, he has confined his painterly renditions of birds and calligraphy within two borders shaped like a traditional Chinese fan.
His artistic expertise in Chinese Painting and Calligraphy has gained him invitations to demonstrate at various official events around Singapore that celebrate Asian heritage, including the Caterpillar Asia Pacific Distribution Services CNY Event 2014, Land Transport Authority CNY Event 2014, Singapore Tourism Board CNY Event 2015, SK Jewellery CNY Event 2014 and the Annual CNY Istana Open House: Chinese Calligraphy Booth by the Chinese Calligraphy Society of Singapore.
One of his most notable achievements to date was at the United Overseas Bank (UOB) Chinese New Year dinner auction in 2014, where his calligraphy piece had successfully sold for a whopping $113,000, just 7 minutes after the starting bid of $15,000 had been announced. The proceeds were then donated to charity, to help offer resources to underprivileged children.