2024 Cultural Medallion and Young Artist Award recipients with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Ms Jane Ittogi, Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), Mr Alvin Tan, Deputy Secretary (Culture and Sports) for MCCY, Dr Lee Tung Jean, Chairman of the National Arts Council (NAC), Ms Goh Swee Chen, and Chief Executive Officer of NAC, Mr Low Eng Teong. Image courtesy of NAC.
Six artists were conferred the Cultural Medallion and Young Artist Award (CMYAA) at National Gallery Singapore today, for their outstanding contributions to Singapore’s arts sector. Cultural Medallion recipients Ghanavenothan Retnam and Siew Hock Meng, and Young Artist Award recipients Alan Choo Su Ho, Evan Low Jun Feng, Tan Si En, and Zhang Fuming have achieved excellence in their respective fields. The recipients have also made significant strides in creating works that resonate with audiences in contemporary Singapore, such as through leading multi-disciplinary collaborations, and representing Singapore in the international arts scene.
Ghanavenothan Retnam, an Indian Classical flautist, composer, and conductor, is the first Indian classical musician to receive the Cultural Medallion, highlighting the importance and continued relevance of traditional arts in Singapore’s diverse arts and culture landscape. He has been a steadfast advocate for Indian classical music for over four decades. Ghanavenothan Retnam has deeply influenced Indian classical music in Singapore as a master of the Indian classical flute, the bansuri, and spearheaded the establishment of Singapore’s first Carnatic flute ensemble in 2019. He also nurtures our next generation of musicians through specialised training for his students, including conducting 14 Flute Arangetrams.
Siew Hock Meng, a master of figurative paintings, is renowned for his allegorical paintings, pastel compositions, and oil portraits. His nuanced address of societal, cultural, and environmental issues, as well as historical events, reflects a profound intellectual curiosity and thoughtfulness. Inspired by Singapore’s landscape and scenes across the region, his works offer insightful social commentaries on our nation’s formative years and development.
The Young Artist Award, instituted in 1992, honours practitioners aged 35 and below for their impact on the community and how they continue to be inspiring role models who shape Singapore’s arts and culture. Young Artist Award recipients Alan Choo Su Ho, Evan Low Jun Feng, Tan Si En, and Zhang Fuming hail from various fields across music, film, and visual arts.
Alan Choo, a violinist, has played a pivotal role in bringing classical musicians and audiences closer together. He is a leading specialist in period instruments and delves into the performing techniques and traditions of the period-instrument movement, introducing a fresh dimension to Singapore’s classical music scene.
Evan Low‘s multi-hyphenate practice as a composer, producer, music director, and co-founder of a local music production company has significantly shaped the sound of Singaporean music. His skilful approach to music production and arrangement seamlessly combines contemporary global influences with Singapore’s rich cultural heritage, evident in his work on widely loved NDP Theme Songs: he co-wrote and produced The Road Ahead with Linying in 2021, and produced Not Alone by Benjamin Kheng in 2024.
Tan Si En has significantly contributed to Singapore’s film industry. Tan Si En’s exceptional ability to balance practicality, precision, and passion is a valuable asset to filmmaking. As the founder of Momo Film Co, Tan Si En has collaborated with renowned filmmakers like Anthony Chen and Kirsten Tan to produce internationally acclaimed films. Tan Si En’s talent has gained a global reputation in the production of the award-winning film Wet Season by Anthony Chen, which was chosen by the Singapore Film Commission as the nation’s Oscars representative in 2020.
Printmaker Zhang Fuming has grown his practice to preserve and revitalise traditional printmaking techniques while incorporating contemporary approaches to engage new audiences. Zhang Fuming has established himself as a prominent figure in the Singapore art scene with his technical mastery and introspection. His artistry extends beyond skill, capturing the beauty in ordinary spaces while exploring complex ideas such as identity, cultural heritage, and the human condition. His dedication to the craft ensures that the rich tradition of printmaking continues to flourish alongside technological advancements, resonating with audiences from all walks of life.
