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Background
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Arts Career
Judging
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Background
Tan Siah Kwee, also known
as Youzi, was born in 1948 in China. He came to Singapore
in 1955.
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Teaching
Tan Siah Kwee was lecturing
calligraphy as early as 1974. Then he was a lecturer at the
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Altogether, he spent 12 years
in NAFA. He was also a part-time calligraphy lecturer in the
National University of Singapore Department of Extramural Studies
from 1981 to 1990, and the Nanyang Technological University Department
of Chinese Language and Culture from 1995 until now.
In 1990, CCSS set up the "Singapore
Institute of Chinese Calligraphy". Tan became its Director
and Senior Lecturer in the same year.
In 1969, the "Chinese
Pen Calligraphy Research Centre" was set up by Tan. This
centre was subsequently renamed to the "Chinese Calligraphy
Research Centre, Singapore" in 1980.
On 9th Feb 2005, Singapore
Senior Citizen Caligraphy University established by Tan officially
commencing its class. Tan natuarally become the principal and the
lectuarer of the university.
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Arts
Career
Tan is one of the founders
of CCSS. He was also its first and second president from 1969
to 1970. He served again as its sixth president and has continued
to serve in that capacity since then.
In 1968, Tan initiated the
"Singapore Cultural Studies Society" and became its first
president. He was president again from 1977 to 1978 and for
the period from 1982 until 1999.
Tan is also a council member
of the Singapore Arts Federation (formerly known as the Singapore
Arts Council) from 1974. In 1978, he served as the Hon. Assistant
Secretary and in 1994, he became its Vice-President.
Since 1988, he was also the
Executive Director of the "International Congress of Chinese
Calligraphy".
In 1979, when the then Ministry
of Culture set up the "Advisory Committee on Visual Arts",
Tan was appointed as a committee member to serve as a voice for
the calligraphy community. He was a member for 13 years until
1991, when the National Arts Council was established. Since
then, he was appointed as a Member of the Arts Resource Panel.
Tan has also held numerous
advisory positions. He has been the honorary advisor to the
Chinese Calligraphy Society of Hong Kong since 1981. From
1985 till nowhe has been the advisor to the Chinese Calligraphy
Society of Malaysia. Since 1989, he has also been the advisor
to The Philippines Chinese Calligraphy Society. In addition,
he is the advisor to the Singapore Children's Art Society (since
1983) and China's most famous poetry organisation -- Guangzhou Poetry
Society of China (since 1989). Tan is also advisor to more
than thirty calligraphy organisations in China.
Starting from 1st Jan 2005,
Tan formally become the Artistic Director of Chinese Calligraphy
Society of Singapore.
Tan established Singapore
Senior Citizen Calligraphy University on Feb 2005 and become the
1st principal of the university.
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Judging
Tan has been a judge to many
competitions and exhibitions.
Among the events that he has
been a judge at:
- National Day Art
Exhibition, Singapore Art Fair, Singapore Art Exhibition
(1975, 1977, 1979-1998)
- National Museum
Annual Art Exhibition (1978)
- National Huichun
Calligraphy Competition (1983 to present)
- National Calligraphy
Competition (1987 to 1998) organised by the Chinese Calligraphy
Society of Malaysia
- First National
Primary Schools Calligraphy Competition (1995) organised
by Chinese Calligraphy Society of Taiwan
- Third Chinese Calligraphy
and Seal Carving Television Competition (1995) organised
by Central China Television (CCTV)
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Publications
Over a span of 30 years, Tan
has published more than two hundred essays on calligraphy and art
in magazines and newspapers.
Some of these articles have
been compiled in five calligraphy publications Tan authored.
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Demonstrations
In 1972, he hosted a seven
episode programme, Bi Zhen Mo Chi, which was televised
by the then Singapore Broadcasting Corporation.
Tan has lectured and demonstrated
his calligraphy at many places. They include:
- National Museum
- National Library
- Teachers Training College
(the present National Institute of Education)
- Community Centres
- People's Association
- Schools
- Foreign Language Centre
(Ministry of Education)
- Singapore Police Academy
At the invitation of the Singapore
Tourist Promotion Board (STPB), Jurong Town Corporation, Sentosa
Development Corporation, Singapore Forex Club, People's Association
and the Ministry of Community Development, Tan has held many calligraphy
demonstrations.
In 1978, Tan was also the
first to be sent overseas by the STPB as part of its promotion efforts.
He has visited USA, United Arab Emirates, The Philippines, Switzerland,
Japan and Hong Kong.
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Style
"Powerful, yet free,
with a definite flavour and a unique character, with great strength
in his strokes, he is on par with famous calligraphers in history."
-- comment by Singapore calligrapher Yan Lu (Gan Kee Leong) on Tan's
works.
Singapore's Pan Shou drew
an analogy of Tan's writing style to a seagull gliding on water,
light and graceful, elegant and unconventional, natural and unrestrained.
Huang Shi'an, a Malaysian
calligrapher, exalted Tan in eight verses. The last four verses
described "his stroke as brisk as a wind in spring; it is linked
to many friendships through a common interest; he is as prominent
as the ancient accomplished calligraphers; he is one of the very
few talented calligraphers who has the potential to develop and
pass on this art".
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Collections
The National Museum acquired
Tan's works in 1978, 1987 and 1988 as part of its permanent collection.
Tan's work was also used as
a gift from the Chief Executive Director of the People's Association
to the governor of the city of Fukuoka, Japan.
Tan's works can be found in
the collections of Singapore's President, ex-President, Deputy Prime
Minister and Cabinet Ministers.
His works are also housed
in many museums overseas.
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