Singapore, 15 September 2014 – Singapore Art Fair 2014, the first modern and contemporary art fair in Asia focusing on Middle Eastern, North African, South and Southeast Asian (ME.NA.SA) art, has announced the appointment of its Honorary Board of Patrons.

Held at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre from 27 to 30 November 2014, Singapore Art Fair appointed the 28-member board to promote the appreciation of art.  The board comprises distinguished individuals including collectors, art advisors, private museum owners and director of museums/ institutions from across the world.  The members are:

1. Mr Hady Ang – Collector, Singapore
2. Ms Aw Kah Peng – Collector, Singapore
3. Mr Amin Bagheri – Collector, Singapore
4. Mr and Mrs Pascal Bertrand – Collectors, France
5. Mr Philip Dodd – Founder, Global Private Museum Summit, Hong Kong/London; former Director of London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts; Chairman, Cultural agency, Made in China; curator; author; BBC broadcaster
6. Mr and Mrs Jean Harribey  – Collectors, France
7. Mr Richard Hoon – Collector, Singapore
8. Ms Alia Ibrahim Hussein – Daughter of Ibrahim Hussein. Custodian and Editor of IB: A Life, The Autobiography of Ibrahim Hussein. Malaysia
9. Datin Sim Hussein – Trustee of Ibrahim Hussein Museum and Cultural Foundation, Malaysia
10. Mr Deddy Kusuma – Collector, Indonesia
11. Mrs Nicole Lamson – Collector, France
12. Mr Olivier Luciani – Managing Director, La Fugue Europera, France
13. Mrs Janine Maamari – Collector and Founder, Liban Art, Lebanon
14. Mr Georges Makhoul – Collector, Dubai
15. Mr Daisuke Miyatsu – Collector, Japan
16. Dr Olga Nefedova – Founding Director, Orientalist Museum, Doha, Qatar; Teaching fellow, High School of Economics, Moscow; Art Collector, Consultant and Curator
17. Mrs Yola Noujaim – Collector, Middle East
18. Dr Oei Hong Djien – Collector and Founder, OHD Private Museum in Indonesia
19. Mr TK Quek – Collector, Art Book Publisher, Singapore
20. Mr and Mrs Patrick Rouleau – Collector, Switzerland
21. HE Shaikha Paula al Sabah of Kuwait – Collector, Kuwait
22. Mr Ramin Salsali – Founder, Salsali Private Museum, Dubai
23. Mr and Mrs Rajeeb Samdani  – Founder, Samdani Art Foundation and Dhaka Art Summit, Dhaka
24. Ms Pia Shobha Shamdsani – Art Adviser, HH Sh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, UAE
25. Mr Jackson See – Collector, Singapore
26. Ms Marina Vernicos – Artist and Collector, Greece
27. Dr.-Ing. Wiyu Wahono – Collector, Indonesia
28. Mrs Dina Zameli – Collector, KSA

“The members of the Honorary Board of Patrons have been specially invited because they have contributed significantly to the world of art, especially through the promotion of the appreciation of art via their collections.  It was pivotal that the Board is made-up of members of diverse backgrounds and from across the globe to offer different perspectives on promoting appreciation of art,” said Mr Jason Ng, Executive Director of Orchilys Pte Ltd.

He continued, “The support that we get from the Board will be imperative in making Singapore Art Fair a platform where people can learn more about and develop greater appreciation of art from the ME.NA.SA (Middle Eastern, North African, South and Southeast Asian) region.”

The Honorary Board of Patrons will play an integral role in helping to strengthen Singapore Art Fair as a key platform in the region where art aficionados and art enthusiasts can cultivate awareness and appreciation for contemporary art from the ME.NA.SA region.

Mr Ramin Salsali, Founder of Salsali Private Museum in Dubai, has joined the board of patrons at the start of its formation. Ramin Salsali stated, “Singapore is a dynamic and fascinating hub for trade and finance. With Singapore Art Fair, a new platform will be created to connect the international collectors, galleries, cultural institutions and artists. I am confident that the fair will further elevate Singapore’s position as a global art hub and cultural destination, promoting cultural and artistic exchanges and more importantly, gain appreciation for art from the ME.NA.SA region.”

The inaugural Singapore Art Fair is organised by Orchilys Pte Ltd, a joint venture between MP Singapore and CEDRALYS. It will bring together some 60 galleries from the ME.NA.SA region.  Key highlights of the Fair include Emmagoss Art Gallery, Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Art on 56^th from Lebanon, JAMM Art Gallery from Dubai, Mizuma Art Gallery from Japan / Singapore and Samer Kozah Gallery and Tajalliyat Art Gallery from Syria.  More information on Singapore Art Fair can be found at www.singapore-art-fair.com.