The mid-1970 to the mid-1990s was the golden period for art appreciation and collection. It started with increasing numbers of exhibitions and the appearance of new art galleries to an explosive number of sizeable international art shows and twice-yearly art auctions by more than ten international, regional, and local auction companies.
The commencement of selling paintings from China was possibly pioneered by The Rising Art Company, started by my old classmate from Chinese High School, Tan Wan Theng, son of a prominent banker and businessman who lived in a large seaside bungalow in the East Coast area. On the other hand, the sale of Western-style oil paintings and framing services was started by Mrs Marjorie Chu in her gallery Art Forum. She married Paul Chu, who managed Hewlett-Packard Company in Singapore and used to see me in my office on new laboratory equipment. I also came to know Marjorie’s two younger sisters, Sarah (who worked for her MSc in my laboratory) and Pauline (a pharmacist married to my late colleague pathologist Dr Ong Beng Hock).
Art business was booming and two art collectors I often met at exhibitions by Rising Arts started their own galleries which literally made them millionaires. One was another Chinese school old classmate Chua Kah Huat who started Orchard Gallery. The other was a Chinese newspaper reporter, Chan Kok Hua, who started his Sin Hua Gallery. It was great joy and fun visiting various galleries and exhibitions and selecting paintings for acquisition.
Frequent meetings of collectors at galleries and venues of various art shows led to friendship and a common desire to share the joy and experience of art collecting. Thus, a “Forum of Fine Art” (FOFA) society was formed by about ten enthusiastic collectors for regular dinner meetings to show newly collected artworks purchased by members and the latest news on the artist, paintings and anything related to an art collection. I was one of the founding members.
The increasing wealth of China led to a halt in the supply of low-cost artworks, which was caused by a widespread lack of funds among the Chinese population to “indulge” in such an expensive hobby of the rich. When the supplies ran dry. Many galleries had to close down. Many art auctions and international art shows left Singapore. Members who used to be art collectors dwindled partly due to ageing. FOFA’s regular meetings over dinner became less and less relevant to art. It became pretty meaningless. It has served its objectives for quite a while and now ceases to exist.
Tan It Koon
Before retirement, Dr Tan It Koon was, among many appointments, Head of Clinical Biochemistry at SGH’s Dept of Pathology. He was the Deputy Chairman of the National Theatre Trust and Chairman for Grants and Scholarships of the Spore Cultural Foundation. He received the National Day Awards, PBM, and PPA, for his contribution to cultural and community development and excellence in Public Administration.
