TEO Eng Seng 张永生
Visual Arts,
Accession Number 003351
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 6
Total Reels
- Sian Eira Jay (Dr)
Interviewer
- 05:50:26
Total Running Time
- English
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 6
Metadata
- 8 Aug 2008
Recording Date
- 00:58:37
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Born in 1938 in Gelang. Father was farmer, after war ran photographic studio. Talks about war years and how brother was seized by Japanese but father managed to get him freed. Attended St. Anthony’s School. Memories of spending time in father’s studio and brother Teo Poh seng taking over studio later on. Father’s interest in collecting stamps, coins and his involvement with Great World Amusement Park.
Talks about art classes at St. Anthony’s and making things in craft. Father recognises his son is artistic and enrols him at British Council where British service men teach art classes. Talks about art classes in school. Move to Pasir Panjang School in 1959. 1955 being taught art at British Council by Edmund Price, Roy Slade, and Jim Russell. Talks about their approach to teaching, strengths and methodologies. Talks about art teacher Chia Hearn Chek at Pasir Panjang school and how Teo became involved illustrating school writing and magazines. School art club and Ong Kim Seng (much younger) would tag along but later went off to follow Lim Cheng Ho.
Left Pasir Panjang and tried to go to Europe by running away to Malaysia but sent back, and then building cart with Anthony Lourdeshamir who ran off and left Teo with costs to pay. Explains why he wanted to go to England to train as art teacher. Begins to talk about enrolling in sea scouts.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 6
Metadata
- 8 Aug 2008
Recording Date
- 00:58:39
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Talks about Foo Kia Pang who was superintendent of welfare home on Pasir Panjang and scout leader - influence he had on Teo. Becoming leader of group of scouts who were sent to Kutching to go climbing. He teamed up with Soh Hap Chin who was an excellent artist but now an architect. They painted Dayak villages and saw how Dayak made crafts. Returned to Singapore and held exhibition and showed Welfare children how to make crafts. Talks of fire at Bukit Ho Swee breaking out the night before the exhibition opened.
1961 Pairs up with groups of scouts and with 500 pounds in pocket sets out to hitch hike to England. Takes boat to Madras where he lectures Indian students on orchids and scenery of Singapore. Describes crossing the Deccan by train and how seeing scenery brings back memories of geography classes. New Delhi and sandstorm, going to Golden Temple at Amritsar, and on to Lahore and Iran during era of Shah. Saw cottage industries in Iran and visited Tehran and joined scout camp in mountain. On to Turkey, journey from Ankara to Istanbul, and to Bulgaria where followed everywhere. Through Yogoslavia and to Austria where there was a boy scout jamboree and met Prince of Litchenstein. Visited Vienna and remembers ceiling frescos, to Germany where hard to get left and police harassed them. To Holland, Paris and finally arriving in England.
Goes to London and gets job in Saville Row warehouse working with textiles. Enrolls at Central School of Art and Design for 5 lessons a week. Talks about what he was taught there and first encounter with life class, studying lithography, theatre design. After 2 years applies to St. Martin and is accepted. Jim Russell was there and told he would have to do foundation. Calls Edmund Price who is in Birmingham who says that if wants to be art teacher he should foundation. Can’t afford extra time so Price suggests he comes to Birmingham which will be cheaper. Gets County Award after completing foundation.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 6
Metadata
- 8 Aug 2008
Recording Date
- 00:57:39
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Talks about being a student in Birmingham and how he is good at sculpture. Chooses to specialise in painting and now recognises he should have focused on sculpture. Talks about his tutors and how he began to express issues concerning Vietnam War and Apartheid in his art work. Was exiled to distant studio in studio design because he was outspoken, and found he had to be largely self taught. How at final show they had forgotten him and he had no space to display his work.
Talks about his final year thesis on Rembrandt and how Rembrandt (and Giacometti and Francis Bacon) have influenced his later work. Talks about trip to Holland to study Rembrandt and being arrested by police who try to prevent him entering Holland. Explains how he managed to gain entry to country. Talks about exhibiting at Camden Art Centre in 1988 and being first foreigner to exhibit there. Talks about meeting up with other artists from Singapore, including Tang Da Wu, Chin Oi Tew and Mak Kum Siew (now internationally recognised) and Thomas Yeo. Met wife who was doing post graduate nursing degree in Birmingham.
Graduates and does one year Post Graduate art teaching
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Reel/Disc 4 of 6
Metadata
- 15 Aug 2008
Recording Date
- 00:58:11
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Talks about how art teaching course was organised and teaching practice in multi cultural school, grammar school and at higher education institution. On graduation sent to comprehensive school in Sutton Coalfields where acted in play (part of Japanese) with children’s parents. Talks about teaching 11 year olds there.
Moves to school in Hoxton where children come from problem backgrounds. Talks about his teaching methodologies and views on how to teach and work with children in art. Describes how children began producing good art works. Was doing papier mache and how children used own cultural experiences to express themselves through their art. Talks about returning to Singapore and joining the International School (now United World College). Involvement in curriculum development, running teacher workshops internationally and generally about art education.
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Reel/Disc 6 of 6
Metadata
- 15 Aug 2008
Recording Date
- 00:58:40
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Talks more about his work as an artists and why he felt necessary to go to UK. Talks in more detail about his studies in the UK and development of his work. Talks in detail about some his major art works that have defined his career as an artist, including The Net, A Boy from the Temple, OTOSOS, Five Nails and The Commuters. Explains why he abandoned painting in 1979 and discusses issue of artist space in Singapore.
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