VINCENT LEOW
Singapore's leading contemporary artist Vincent Leow (b. 1961) Celebrated as an enfant terrible of the Singapore art community, Vincent Leow is a pivotal figure in the alternative art scene in Singapore. His practice parallels the development of contemporary art in Singapore; and as a painter, he is regarded as a remarkable imagist who has dipped into an astonishing range of images from popular culture, literature, cinema, politics and the mass media.
Leow stands as a central figure in the history of the ‘art collective' in Singapore. One of the early members of The Artists Village (TAV) , founded in 1988 by the iconic Tang Dawu (b 1943), Leow subsequently helmed other artist-run spaces. Co-founding Utopia (now defunct), Leow is also the founder of Plastique Kinetic Worms (PKW) , a leading alternative artist-run space in Singapore.
Engaging a range of media that has manifested in performances, installations, sculptures, digital and mixed-media works, Leow's practice has maintained the element of anarchy and rebellion so critical to alternative practices. He acquired public notoriesty with his 1992 performance in which he drank his own urine. The art gesture was later elaborated upon through the packing and sale of bottles of urine - epitomizing Leow's artful handling of ‘underground, subversive' practices with a savvy understanding of the mechanics of market consumption and its desire for and absorption of infamy, scandal and controversy.
His earlier paintings formed the emergence of unapologetic aggression, blatant sexuality and emotional temperament in the field of painting in Singapore . Leow's later paintings assumed several shifts, particularly during and after his art studies in the USA (1991) on several art scholarships.
Some of Leow's works in the 1990s were marked by an ‘urban street style' and arguably of Neo-Surrealism; others carry a Pop-art sensibility, a taste for kitsch and always a highly individual visual vocabulary - prompting art writers to describe his practice as epitomizing ‘post-modern' visual strategies.
Lindy Poh
Curator/ Art Consulltant
VINCENT LEOW KONG YAM
No.50, Ubi Avenue 3,
#04-21 Frontier,
Singapore 408866
Tel : (65) 6256 1845
Mobile : (65) 9177 3828
Email : 
BORN : Singapore, 1961 |
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| SOLO EXHIBITION |
| 2007 |
“Andy's pranks and Swimming Lessons”, Xin Beijing Gallery, Beijing, China |
| 2004 |
“Mock Ducks and Manicured Poodles” Jendela Gallery@Esplande, Singapore
“A Big Fat Belly Hen”, Plastique Kinetic Worms, Singapore |
| 2001 |
"FOUR EYES, CLOUDY SKIES", Atelier Frank & Lee, Singapore
"FOUR EYES, CLOUDY SKIES", TADU Art Space, Bangkok, Thailand |
| 2000 |
“Caged Feet “, LIP, Yogyakarta, Indonesia |
| 1998 |
"Mountian Cow Milk Factory", Installation Telok Kurau Studios Gallery, Singapore |
| 1997 - 1998 |
"Mountian Cow Milk Factory", various venues, Singapore |
| 1996 |
"Falling Bones, Hungry Chillies", Substation Gallery, Singapore |
| 1994 |
"CHOP SUEY" Substation Gallery, Singapore |
| 1992 |
"Donkeys, Elephants & The Three Legged Toad", Shenns Gallery, Singapore |
| 1991 |
"Vincent Leow : Recent Paintings", School 33 Art Centre, Baltimore, MD, USA |
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| GROUP EXHIBITION |
| 2007 |
“52 nd Venice Biennale 2007”, Singapore Pavilion, Venice
“3 rd Gui Yang Biennale of Contemporary Art 2007”, GuiYang, China |
| 2006 |
"PRET A PORTER” Plastique Kinetic Worms, Singapore |
| 2005 |
"WORLD EXPO 2005 Singapore pavilion, Nagoya, Japan
“Contemporary Self-Portraiture/Reassessing Identity, Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore, LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts
“ACCESS” Plastique Kinetic Worms, Singapore |
| 2004 |
“11th Asian Art Biennale” Osmani Memorial Hall, Bangladesh |
| 2003 |
“Boxed ll “ Plastique Kinetic Worms, Singapore
“RENGA Paintings” National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
“Bilateral Bonds” TAKSU Gallery, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
“I'm lovin' it, SeatArt” Merlion Park, Singapore |
| 2002 |
“Boxed“ Singapore Art Fair, Singapore
“P.A.U.S.E” Gwanju Biennale 2002, Korea
“Show: Auction” Plastique Kinetic Worms, Singapore
“NOKIA Singapore Art” Singapore Art Museum, Singapore |
| 2001 |
"Plastic Works" Plastique Kinetic Worms, Singapore
"ParallelWORLD: Body Phase III", Plastique Kinetic Worm, Singapore
"Caged Feet, Time Stall",, Plastique Kinetic Worms, Singapore |
| 2000 |
"BOXED 26x26", Plastique Kinetic Worms, Singapore
"ParallelWorld" Project 304 Bangkok, Thailand
"Feast" group exhibition, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
"CONFIGURATION" Atelier Frank & Lee, Singapore |
| 1999 |
"Prvocative Things" Sculpture Square, Singapore
"NOKIA Art 99", Plastique Kinetic Worms & Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
"ParallelWORLD", a group exhibition involving 3 exhibition Sites
"MIXAGE", collective project with Singapore & French artists, Singapore
"Chair", group exhibition, Plastique Kinetic Worms, Singapore
"CRISP", Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
"Jotterbook", Plastique Kinetic Worms, Singapore
3 Singaporean & 3 French Artists, Alliance Francaise de Singapour
"Art et Politique", Alliance Francaise de Singapour
"Art et Politique", Sarcelles, France
"Move", group exhibition, Plastique Kinetic Worms, Singapore
" Brave New World ", Soobin Gallery, Singapore
"Part II", group exhibition, Plastique Kinetic Worms,Singapore |
| 1998 |
"Censorship", group exhibition, Plastique Kinetic Worms, Singapore
"Bangkok Art Project", Bangkok
"Second Nature : Cityscapes of Singapore", Central Plaza, Hong Kong
"Launch" group exhibition, Plastique Kinetic Worms, Singapore
“6x6x6” , group exhibition, Plastique Kinetic Worms, Singapore
"A Common Wealth of Art ", National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
"An Arts Experience", UE Square, Singapore
"500 & Below ", group exhibition, Plastique Kinetic Worms, Singapore
"Recent Works ", Group exhibition at Plastique Kinetic Worms, Singapore
"Imagining Self", Singapore Art Museum, Singapore |
| 1997 |
"9th Indian Trienale of contemporary art", New Dehli, India
"Singapore Art 97", Suntec City, Singapore
"Jewels of Asia", Suntec City, Singapore
"Art Power", organised by The Substation, CHIJMES Gallery, Singapore |
| 1996 |
"Shell Grand Discovery Art Exhibition", River House Restaurant, Singapore
"Moon & Star" Show, UTOPIA Gallery, Singapore
"Expressions", Millenia Walk, Singapore
"Selections", UTOPIA Gallery, Singapore
"$300" Show”, UTOPIA Gallery, Singapore
"TOUR de ART LAH !" Singapore Festival of the Arts, Singapore |
| 1995 |
"Chiang Mai Social Installation" , Wat U-Mong Temple, Chiang Mai, Thailand
"Shift of Time" sculpture Installation, German School, Singapore
"Fighting The Universal Spider", A & O Gallery, Berlin, Germany
"Singapore Art 95" Sculpture Installation, Suntec City, Singapore
"The Great Singapore Kitsch Show" LaSalle Gallery, Singapore
'A FLOG OF BIRDIES" Black Box, TheatreWorks, Singapore |
| 1994 |
"Para Values" Site specific installation, Fort Canning Park, Singapore
"Window on Singapore Art" travelling exhibition to China & Hong Kong, Singapore |
| 1993 |
"International Sculpture & Painting Symposium", Gulbarga, India
"Art In Asia" Singapore Art Fair 93, Singapore
"SeptFest" Substation Gallery, Singapore
"5th Fukui International Binale", Tawara, Fukui City, Japan
"2nd Sculpture Seminar", NAFA Gallery, Singapore
"1st Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art", Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
"ESPACE 3356" French Festival Art Exhibition, Singapore |
| 1992 |
"Performance Art Week", Gallery 21, Singapore
"HOPE" Visual Art Exhibition, 5th Passage Gallery, Singapore |
| 1991 |
"Many in One : Twenty-five Years of Art From Singapore Washington DC, USA
"Gateway to Malaysia" Bangunan Data Jaafar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
"Vincent Leow & Rudy Nadler", Maryland Institute, Baltimore, USA
"Urban Artists in Singapore" National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore |
| 1990 |
"ARTSCAPE 90" Decker Gallery, Baltimore, USA
"EYE 21" ART Base Gallery, Singapore |
| 1989 |
"The Drawing Show" Artists Village, Singapore
" QU ArtSupport II" QU Art Space, Hong Kong
"Contemporary Art In Singapore " Netherlands & the Federal Republic of Germany
"Two with a Cause", National Art Gallery, Singapore
"The Happenings" National Technological Institute, Singapore
"Man, Objects & Images 89" National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore |
| 1988 |
"The Artists Village Show" open studio show, Artists Village, Singapore
"7th Discovery Arts Exhibition" Shell Tower, Singapore
"Genesis", Art Focus, Singapore |
| 1987 |
"Ying & Yang Art Festival" National University, Singapore
"National Museum Centenary Exhibition" National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore |
| 1986 |
"Australian Art Award for Young Artists" National Museum of Art Gallery, Singapore
"3rd Sculpture Workshop & Exhibition" LaSalle College of Arts, Singapore |
| 1985 |
"3rd ASEAN Young Painting Workshop & Exhibition" Yogyakarta, Indonesia
"2nd Sculpture Workshop & Exhibition" National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore |
| |
ART PERFORMANCES |
| 1995 |
"The Chickens Are Like The Teak Trees In The Forest” Chiang Mai, Thailand
"Party & Party", NIE Art Festival, Singapore
"Some Spiders Just Wanna Have Fun", , A & O Gallery, Berlin, Germany |
| 1994 |
"I, O, Bing Bong Bang" National Museum, Singapore |
| 1993 |
"I'll Do, Will You?" 2nd Sculpture Seminar, NAFA Gallery, Singapore
"Coffee Talk" 5th Passage Art Gallery, Singapore |
| 1992 |
“The Three Legged Toad" Space, Arts Festival Fringe, Singapore
"1000 Ways To Walk A Plank" Space, Arts Festival Fringe, Singapore |
| 1992 |
"Cover Up",with Zai Kuning Arts Festival Fringe, Singapore
"Shit Happens", with Zai Kuning, Arts Festival Fringe, Singapore
"Space : Between The Teeth" LaSalle College of Arts, Singapore |
| 1991 |
"5 Bananas" National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore |
| 1990 |
"Ambassador from the Woods" performance with Peter Chin, Singapore Festival of Arts, Festival Fringe, Singapore
"Serious Conversation" with Tang Da Wu Singapore Festival of Arts |
| 1989 |
"Friendship" with Wong Shih Yaw, National Technological Institute, Singapore
"HELP" with Wong Shih Yaw, National Technological Institute, Singapore
"Michelle" National Technological Institute, Singapore |
| 1988 |
"Art Commandoes", Singapore Festival of the arts, Singapore
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| ART PROJECTS & COMMISSIONS |
| 2007 |
“Friendship Pups”, 8 Draycott Park, Singapore |
| 1999 |
Red Numbers, Kranji Turf Club, Singapore |
| 1999 - 2001 |
Northeast line MRT mural, Lorong Buangkok Station, Singapore |
| 1996 |
Merlion Tower - Water Feature at Merlion Walk Sentosa, Singapore |
| 1996 |
"OPEL VECTRA ART CAR" car painting project Singapore Technologies |
| 1990 |
"DREAM WORLD" video Installation, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore
"Their Piece" sculpture project Singapore Festival of Arts, Singapore |
| 1989 |
"Green Socks" TheatreWorks project with Wong Shih Yaw, Singapore |
| 1989 |
"Love & Peace" Katong Convent Secondary School, Singapore
"Art Commandoes" Singapore Festival of arts, Festival Fringe, Singapore |
| 1987 |
"Beach Fun" Sentosa Development Corporation, Singapore |
| 1986 |
"Hands" Marymount Convent Chapel, Singapore |
| |
| AWARDS |
| 2002 |
JCCI Culture Award |
| 2003 |
NAC Oversea Arts Bursary |
| 2000 |
UNESCO-ASCHBERG Bursaries for Artists Yogyakarta, Indonesia |
| 1991 |
Mount Royal Scholarship, Maryland Institute, Baltimore, USA |
| 1990 |
Scholarship, Lee Foundation, Singapore
Bursary, Singapore Cultural Arts Grant, Singapore
Mount Royal Scholarship, Maryland Institute, Baltimore, USA |
| 1989 |
Scholarship, Lee Foundation, Singapore
Bursary, Singapore Cultural Arts Grant, Singapore |
| 1988 |
Exhibition Grant, Lee Foundation, Singapore |
| 1987 |
First prize award, Sentosa Sculpture Design Competition, Singapore |
| |
| EDUCATION |
2005 |
Doctor in Fine Art, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia |
| 1991 |
Masters in Fine Art 1991, Maryland Institute, Mount Royal
Graduate School of Art, Baltimore, USA |
1985 - 1987 |
Diploma in Fine Art, Sculpture Major with Merit,
LaSalle College of Art, Singapore |
| |
| COLLECTIONS |
Singapore Art Museum,
Singapore Turf Club,
Sentosa Development Corporations, Singapore
Land Transport Authority Singapore,
UOB Bank Singapore,
Deutsche Bank Singapore,
Fukuoka Art Museum,
National Arts Council,
and Private Collectors. |
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BIBLIOGRAPHY |
• Parvathi Nayar, Vincent Leow goes to Venice Biennale , Business Times, 2 Feb, 2007
• David Chew, V Day, Singapore gets Fantastical in Venice, Today, 1 February 2007
• Clara Chow, Four to Show , Straits Times, Life section, 31 January 2007
• Ho Tzun Nyen, Vincent Leow: Mock Ducks & Manicured Poodles Art Asia Pacific Winter issue no.43, PG 77, 2005
• Mun, Y-Jean, “Mock, Manicured and Kinetic” The Peak, volume 21, issue 8, pg 131, Aug 2005.
• Chow, Clara , “Buy a bit of Buangkok”, Straits Times Life, Wednesday, 16 Nov 2005
• Goh, K.K. “ Mock Ducks and Manicured Poodles” Lianhe Zhao Pao, Monday, August 30, 2004
• Chow, Clara, “Reality vs fiction” , The Straits Times, Thursday, August 12, 2004.
• Szep, Jason, “Singapore in awkard embrace with arts” , Reuters, October 2004.
• Poh, Lindy & Sabapathy T.K, “Mock Ducks and Manicured Poodles” exhibition catalogue, Jendala visual art space @ the Esplanade, Singapore 2004.
• Onn, Clarrissa, “S'pore artists pick mixed media for Asian show” The Straits Times, Friday, January 9 2004.
• Goh K.K. “Big Fat Belly Hen” Lianhe Zhao Pao, Thursday, February 12, 2004.
• Jacques, Rachel, “Renewal Paintings” , The arts Magazine, 2001
• Chengzu, “Mediator on canvas” , Bangkok Post, Thursday, June 21, 2001.
• Ng, Josef, “Singapore Slinging” , Metro, June 2001.
• “Four Eyes Cloudy Skies ” exhibition catalogue, Tadu contemporary art Space Bangkok Thailand, 2001.
• Jacques, Farney, “Eyes Wide Open” , The arts magazine, 2001.
• Goh, K.K., “Four Eyes Cloudy Skies ”, Lianhe Zhao Pao, Saturday, April 21, 2001.
• “Four Eyes Cloudy Skies ” exhibition catalogue, Atelier Frank and Lee, Singapore 2001
• “Caged Feet” exhibition catalogue Cemeti Art Foundation, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 2000.
• Jay, Sian E, “Yum art: Spread to give food for thought” , The Straits Times, Saturday, April 8, 2000.
• Lim, Karen, “CRISP” Singapore Art Museum publication, 1999.
• O'Neil, Mathieu, “Mixage” , exhibition catalogue, Alliance Francias, Singapour, 1999
• Jay, Sian E. “Facing up to artistic space” The Strait Times, Tuesday, November 2, 1999.
• Harper, Glenn, “Volume and Form” Sculpture Magazine, September 1999
• Sabapathy T.K. “Provocative Things” exhibition catalogue, Sculpture Square, Singapore 1999
• Kunavichyanont, Sutee, “Bangkok Art Project ”, exhibition catalogue, Bang kok Thailand, 1998.
• Low, Sze Wee, “Go ahead, stomp on the art” The Straits Times, 1998.
• Nadarajan, Gunalan, “Ambulation” , exhibition catalogue, Earl Lu, Gallery, 1998.
• Lee, Weng Choy, “The Public Cows of Vincent Leow” Eyeline Magazine, spring 1998
• Finlay, Victoria, “Brushing off a boring image” The Review Arts, Hong Kong, Saturday, October 10, 1998.
• Jacobson, Howard, “ Peanut get Monkey” , Modern Painters, October, 1998
• Ho, Janet, “Cows have a tale to tell” The Straits Times, Tuesday, November 11, 1997.
• Lee, Joanne, “ 9 th Indian Triennial of contemporary art” exhibition catalogue, India, 1997
• Lee, Weng Choy, “New Criteria: Rearticulating the other” Art Asia Pacific,
• Kwok, Kian Chow, “Channels and Confluences: A history on Singapore Art” Singapore Art Museum publication, 1996.
• Wong, Susie, “ Vincent Leow”, South East Asian Art Today, Roeder Publication, Singapore 1996.
• Tan, Chye Luan, “This should stop traffic…” The New Paper, Monday, April 1, 1996.
• Farnay, Rachel, “Vincent Leow at the Substation”, Asian Art News, Nov, Dec, 1996.
• Poshyananda, Apinan, “Body Language” , Scrap books, 1995
• Sabapathy T.K .”A stimulating show of energy and humor” , The Straits Times, Monday, May 16, 1994.
• Leong, Weng Kam, “Singapore art goes to China and Hongkong” , The Straits Times, Tuesday, March 15, 1994.
• Goh, K.K. “Chop Suey” LianHe Zhao Pao, Saturday, May 14, 1994.
• Sabapathy T.K. “1 st Asia pacific Triennial of contemporary Art” exhibition catalogue, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 1993.
• Lui, John, “Artist urinates on stage, then drinks urine to make ‘statement'” The Straits Times, January 1993.
• Rajaram, Ganes, “ Drink urine? Urgh! But….” The New Paper, Tuesday, January 1993.
• Lui, John, “Take some scrap parts, use your imagination and get your sculpture” The Sunday Times, June 20, 1993.
• Ang Dave , “Revolting” , The New Paper Tuesday, February 9, 1993.
• Ng, Seck Chow, “Jarring videos provoke the complacent” The Straits Times, Friday, September 10, 1993.
• Sabapathy T.K. “Animal attractions” The Straits Times, Thursday, October 15, 1992
• Goh K.K. “Donkeys, elephants and the three legged toad” , Lianhe Zhaopao, Saturday, October 17, 1992.
• Ni, Fred, “USA? Hot Dog! Vincent Leow's Donkeys, Elephants and the 3 Legged Toad Show” 8 Days magazine, October 1992.
• Wood, Carol , “Show & Tell” , City Paper, Baltimore, MD, USA, January 1992.
• Richard, Paul, “Generic Singapore” The Washington Post, Thursday, June 13 1991.
• Koh, Buck Song, “But is it art” , The Straits Times, Friday, November 29, 1991.
• Sabapathy T.K . “Magic, mystery and a hint of danger” The Straits Times, Monday July 17, 1989.
• Sasitharan T., “Definitely not a show of pretty paintings” The Straits Times, Tuesday, July 11, 1989.
• Lau, Siew Mei, “Rage and loathing at artists' show” The Straits Times, Thursday, June 1, 1989.
• “The Artists Village” SHIN NICHI HO, August 10, 1989
• Sasitharan T, “On the path to Discover” The Straits Times, 1988.
• Lee, Vanessa, “A mix of nightmarish objects and relaxing prints”, Business Times, Monday, June 13, 1988
• Goh, Geraldine, “Human Transformed, in top form” The New Paper, 1988.
• Chia, Ming Chien , “Heart on art” , MAN life and style Magazine, June – July 1988.
• Sabapathy T.K . “Artists' Colony in Ulu Sembawang”, The Straits Times, 1988
• “Student's ‘Beach Fun' sculpture tops Sentosa Design contest” The Straits Times, Saturday, July 18, 1987.
• “Orchard Road Murals”, The Straits Times, Monday August 5, 1985.
• Chan, Hsia Siang, “Beach Fun”, Sin Ming Daily, Friday, July 17, 1985.
• See, Swee Hsia, “ASEAN Youth Painting Workshop” LianHe Wan Pao, December 1, 1985.
• Tseng, Christina and Percy Mayadunne, “Varied yet Comprehensive” The Catholic News, Sunday February 2, 1986 |
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