Chng Seok Tin

In addition to her art, she was also a prolific writer and has published 11 collections of her writing, mostly in Chinese. She also advocated for artists with disabilities.

• Name — Chng Seok Tin • Native Name — 莊心珍 • Born — 6 October 1946 • Birthplace — Katong, Singapore • Died — 6 September 2019 • Place of death — Singapore • Awards — * Cultural Medallion • Singapore Chinese Literary Award • Singapore Women's Hall of Fame • Known for — Printmaking, sculpture, mixed media • Website — http: chngseoktin.com/ Chng Seok Tin (莊心珍; 6 October 1946 – 6 September 2019) was a visually-impaired printmaker, sculptor and multi-media artist from Singapore. She was often inspired by the i-Ching and Buddhism. Her work has been shown internationally; Chng had over 26 solo shows and 100 group shows. In addition to her art, she was also a prolific writer and has published 11 collections of her writing, mostly in Chinese. She also advocated for artists with disabilities.

Chng grew up poor in Katong, in a "leaky attap house in Kampung Chai Chee." Her parents wanted all of their seven children to go to school. Chng attended Chung Cheng High School which had an art department taught by teachers from the Shanghai Art Academy. Later, in 1966, she attended the Teachers' Training College. She began to teach Chinese at the Tanjong Katong Girls' School later that year. Eventually, Chng started taking art lessons privately, and then attended the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts where she received a diploma in Western painting. In 1979, she received a BA from the Hull College of Higher Education in England. Also in 1979, she had an exhibition of prints at the National Museum of Art Gallery in Singapore. Chng then received an award from the Ministry of Culture to study advanced printmaking in 1980. In 1983 she earned her master's degree in arts from New Mexico State University and then a masters of fine arts from the University of Iowa in 1985. In 1986, Chng headed the print-making department at Lasalle-SIA College of the Arts. She was also an art editor for the Joint Publishing Company in Hong Kong.

Chng "never hesitated to comment on the social milieu" in her work. In 2001, she was named Woman of the Year by Singapore's magazine, Her World. While Chng was a fellow at the Vermont Studio Center in 2003, she protested the United States invasion of Iraq with other artists. The work that resulted from her experience range from landscapes of Vermont to prints inspired by the Iraq War. In 2005, she was the first person from Singapore to hold a solo exhibition at the Headquarters of the United Nations. Chng explored the opportunity of showing her work at the UN after she heard about a Chinese artist showing work there. She contacted an old schoolmate, Lee Fong Yang who works at the UN Headquarters, who inquired on her behalf and helped her arrange the show. She also received the Cultural Medallion that same year. In 2007, she received the Singapore Chinese Literary Award from the Singapore Literature Society. Chng had a retrospective exhibition at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 2011. In 2014, she was inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame. In 2015, Chng was recognized by the Singapore Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth "as a pioneer of the modern printmaking practice in Singapore." Chng died of cancer at the age of 73 on 6 September 2019.