LIM Siah Tong 林锡忠
Visual Arts,
Accession Number 001869
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 14
Total Reels
- Yap Wee Cheng
Interviewer
- 06:49:07
Total Running Time
- Mandarin
Language
Copyright Notice
All rights to the recordings and transcripts on this website, including the rights to copy, publish, broadcast and perform, are reserved. Written permission is required for any use. If you have any queries, please contact nas@nlb.gov.sg
Reel/Disc 1 of 14
Metadata
- 18 Mar 1987
Recording Date
- 00:29:57
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Personal and educational background. Played truant to study art. Social views on artists in 1950s. Read books with mother. Learnt calligraphy from father who eventually allowed him to enrol in Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). Students he interacted with. Academic performance. Planned to further art studies in Rome. Learnt Italian. Entrance examination of Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. Childhood in Malacca influenced paintings. Foreign places visited. Inspirations drawn from art. Opinions on how geniuses are created.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 14
Metadata
- 18 Mar 1987
Recording Date
- 00:30:54
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Talent evident in early age. Who helped to change father's attitude towards him becoming an artist. Father's and his own aspirations for their children. Joined Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) after Secondary Three. What he studied. What he studied in night classes. Advice from Lim Hak Tai, NAFA's principal. Overseas artists that held exhibitions in Singapore. What he learnt from these artists and teachers. Attitudes of art students now and then.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 14
Metadata
- 18 Mar 1987
Recording Date
- 00:29:34
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Recollections of Chen Jen Hao, his art teacher. Reasons for not joining Teacher's Training College. Persuaded father to allow him to study art in Rome. Obtained scholarship to Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. Artists who taught him in Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). Techniques learnt from them. Built foundation and established painting style. Recollections of NAFA. Lived with relative while in Singapore; how he reciprocated relative's favours. Received music education.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 14
Metadata
- 18 Mar 1987
Recording Date
- 00:31:01
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Enrolment and courses in Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) then. Views on NAFA's entrance examination and overseas art schools. Decision to study in Italy. Financial support from family. Importance of qualifications. Advice for NAFA. Worked as illustrator in publication company after study in Italy. Recollections of working in publication company and later for a newspaper. Art lessons at NAFA. His teaching methods. Relationship with Lim Hak Tai. Lim Hak Tai's farewell gift. Collected pens used by celebrities to sign on portraits done by him. Impressions of Lim Hak Tai. Entrance examination of Academic of Fine Arts in Rome.
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Reel/Disc 5 of 14
Metadata
- 18 Mar 1987
Recording Date
- 00:30:12
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Preparations for entrance examination. Learnt basic Italian during journey to Rome. Initial difficulties encountered in Rome. Courses taken. Majored in oil painting. Styles adopted. Course fees. Completed four-year course in two years. Influences on painting style. Difficulties encountered in completing course in two years. Courses' outline and contents. Participation in art competitions in Italy, awards won. Became interior and architectural design lecturer in Baharuddin Vocational Institute (BVI).Completed architectural blueprint reading and drawing course by Adult Education Board (AEB).
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Reel/Disc 6 of 14
Metadata
- 18 Mar 1987
Recording Date
- 00:29:21
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
How he got to teach in Baharuddin Vocational Institute (BVI). Taught for three years. Other part-time jobs. Became art director in English publication company; opportunity to overcome English phobia. Acted as interpreter for boss. Became art director for local press. His supplementary duties. Unequal treatment in the press. Reason for studying interior design in Rome. Impact of studying in Rome. Sources of supplementary income for artists. Change of duties in Nanyang Shang Pau. Taught interior design in BVI. Course contents. Students' language abilities in BVI and Nanyang University. Facilities in BVI.
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Reel/Disc 7 of 14
Metadata
- 21 Mar 1987
Recording Date
- 00:30:14
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
How he overcome shortage of facilities in Baharuddin Vocational Institute (BVI). What he introduced. Managed time to cope with three jobs. Interested in journalism since young. Further recollections of working in publication company. Invited by Nanyang Shang Pau to be art consultant. Supplementary duties and change of duties through the years. Reasons for working hard. Did layout for children's textbooks by Educational Publishing Bureau (EPB).Views on acknowledgements not given to those who assisted in publications. Family members became models for illustrations. Publication process. Computerization of the press; impact on him.
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Reel/Disc 8 of 14
Metadata
- 21 Mar 1987
Recording Date
- 00:29:40
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Elaboration on computerization of the press. Its impact on his designs and layout. Editors he met. Invited to participate in first Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) exhibition for press comics in Japan. First Singaporean to have works exhibited. Copyright prosecution in Japan and other Asian countries. Comparison between computer graphics and traditional painting methods. Investment in computer system. Views on applied arts not being a form of art. Cartoon Faculty in University of Kyoto, Japan. Course contents. Experiences in press that helped in his painting.
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Reel/Disc 9 of 14
Metadata
- 21 Mar 1987
Recording Date
- 00:27:54
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Sketching disaster and murder scenes for press. Learnt French. Advantages of learning new skills and foreign languages. What led to his job inn Nanyang Shang Pau. He works for local media and press, even while in Rome. Completed thesis using typewriter. Continued to illustrate comics for Nanyang Shang Pau while in publishing company after his return from Italy. Worked for press for almost forty years. Encounters with Professor Ye; advice received. Favourite subjects for paintings. Appreciation of human poise. Advice from Chinese artist on painting's composition. Exhibition of his works.
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Reel/Disc 10 of 14
Metadata
- 21 Mar 1987
Recording Date
- 00:28:42
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Development of his painting style. Colour mixture for oil painting. Rome marked transitional stage of his development. Artists and teachers in Florence that influenced him. Married in Rome. Why he stopped painting. When he started painting again. Joint exhibition with Tan Choo Kuan in 1996; exhibited mainly oil paintings. Completed 18 pieces of oil painting within four months. Recent attempts to change painting style failed. Criticisms from Liu Kang and former lecturers. Hoped to continue painting. Views on painting according to buyers' requirements. Why he refused to do so.
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