Six arts practitioners conferred Singapore’s top arts accolade at the Cultural Medallion and Young Artist Award Ceremony

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.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Guest of Honour at today's ceremony, said: "This year’s Cultural Medallion and Young Artist Award recipients have each contributed in their own, quite distinctive ways to the arts. But together, they also express the breadth of character and imagination we aspire for in Singapore culture."

Cultural Medallion

Established in 1979, the Cultural Medallion, Singapore's top arts accolade, recognises individuals whose artistic excellence, contributions, and commitment to the arts have shaped Singapore's growing cultural landscape. This year, two recipients — Ghanavenothan Retnam and Siew Hock Meng — were conferred the Cultural Medallion in recognition of their invaluable contributions to local Indian music and the visual arts, respectively. They have profoundly shaped Singapore’s arts scene by pushing the boundaries of artistic expression, and have elevated local arts to the international stage.

• 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.
  
  As a core member of the multi-ethnic music troupe yIN Harmony, Ghanavenothan Retnam has created multi-ethnic compositions and organised cross-cultural collaborations that celebrate Singapore’s rich, multicultural heritage.
  
  Ghanavenothan Retnam has earned international acclaim in his works as a music director at Bhaskar’s Arts Academy. He masterfully combined Indian classical and Balinese music traditions in his composition for Vinyaka, a dance production which premiered at the Bali Arts Festival in 2010. Ghanavenothan Retnam has also collaborated with renowned Southeast Asian composers to blend Indian classical and folk music, Javanese, Balinese, and Kelantan music together for the 2023 dance-drama Radin Mas.

• 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.
  
  In 1971, he was recognised for his contributions with the National Day Medal for Fine Arts. Siew Hock Meng also played a crucial role in shaping Singapore's visual arts landscape as a member of pioneering arts societies such as the Singapore Watercolour Society and the Equator Art Society.
  
  Internationally, his artworks are highly esteemed by collectors, scholars, and artists worldwide, and he actively contributes to the arts through international exhibitions, talks, and writing.

Young Artist Award

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.
  
  Alan Choo has created new opportunities to explore classical music and discover the works of local composers as the founder and artistic director of Red Dot Baroque, Singapore's first professional Baroque period ensemble. He also co-founded SG Inspirations, a project devoted to showcasing performing works by Singaporean composers.
  
  Beyond Singapore’s shores, Alan Choo serves as concertmaster and assistant artistic director of Apollo’s Fire, the Grammy Award-winning baroque orchestra based in the United States, and has represented Singapore with distinction, performing alongside world-class classical musicians in internationally acclaimed ensembles.
  

• 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.
  
  Evan Low leverages his expertise in interdisciplinary collaborations that promote the cross-pollination of ideas and enrich Singapore’s arts community and scene with innovative experiences. He engages in various art forms such as visual and performing arts, and has brought together artists of different disciplines from Sam Lo (SKL0) to O School.
  
  Evan Low also actively develops the next generation of musicians; he has participated in mentorship programmes like SHINE and Majulah Festival and is currently a mentor for music with ART:DIS (Arts & Disability) Singapore.
  

• 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.
  
  Tan Si En supports Singapore’s film ecosystem through Momo Film Co, leading initiatives such as the Objectifs x Momo Short Film Incubator and Momo Distribution Grant to nurture and develop new projects, growing a dynamic film landscape in Singapore.
  
  Tan Si En also actively nurtures the next generation of local and overseas film producers from Nanyang Technological University and LASALLE to Full Circle Lab in the Philippines and Rotterdam Lab in the Netherlands.
  

• 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.
  
  He imparts his knowledge to younger artists through studio workshops, demonstrations, and exhibitions, and nurtures a deeper appreciation for this traditional art form. He has also established Drawing Etc. Art Supplies, a creative space that supports emerging artists by providing a platform to showcase their works, and fosters community engagement and mentorship.
  
  Zhang Fuming has represented Singapore on the international front through overseas group exhibitions like ‘The 21^st Century Maritime Silk Road Art Week’ at Xiamen in 2016, where he showcased his work alongside international peers.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law, Edwin Tong, said, "Our Cultural Medallion and Young Artist Award recipients have been instrumental in connecting communities, enriching our cultural landscape, and strengthening our unique Singaporean identity. Through their distinct practices across both traditional and contemporary forms, they have elevated the standing of Singapore’s arts on the global stage and fostered a deeper appreciation of our rich cultural heritage in our local communities. I would like to congratulate and thank them for their indelible contributions, which reflect the vibrant arts and culture sector that we continue to nurture."

The National Arts Council celebrates Singapore’s artistic talents, recognising both the veterans who have paved the way with their enduring contributions and the young artists who represent the vibrant future of Singapore’s arts and culture. The Government remains committed to supporting the multiple pathways to success that our artists have taken in their pursuit of passion, as they continue to shape a maturing arts scene that remains deeply rooted in Singapore’s unique traditions and culture.

High resolution images may be found in this Digital Media Kit: https://bit.ly/CMYAA2024 ↗ (opens in new tab)

• Annex A: About the Cultural Medallion and 2024 Recipients [PDF, 264.63 KB] ↗ (opens in new tab)

• Annex B: About the Young Artist Award and 2024 Recipients [PDF, 254.94 KB] ↗ (opens in new tab)

• Annex C_List of Specialist Assessment Panel Members [PDF, 299.86 KB] ↗ (opens in new tab)