The First Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

Vincent Leow (Leow Kong Yam) was born in Singapore in 1961. After gaining a National Trade Certificate in Building Drafting in 1980 and a Diploma in Fine Art and Design in 1987 in Singapore, he continued his studies in the United States, graduating with a Master of Fine Arts (Painting) from the Maryland Institute, Mt Royal Graduate School of Art, Baltimore. The artist has participated regularly in group exhibitions in Singapore and overseas between 1985 and 1991 including ' 2nd SculptureWorkshop and Exhibition', National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore, 1985; 'Ying and Yang Art Festival', visual art, installations and performances, National University, Singapore, 1987; 'Contemporary Printmaking Exhibition', curated by the National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore, 1988; 'Contemporary Art in Singapore: Where East Meets West', touring The Netherlands and the Federal Republic of Germany, 1989; 'Artscape '90', Decker Gallery, Maryland Institute, Baltimore, United States, 1990; and 'Many in One: Twenty-five Years of Art from Singapore', touring the United States: 1991. He has held two solo exhibitions, in 1991 and 1992, the latter being 'Vincent Leow: Recent Paintings', School 33 Art Centre, Baltimore, United States. Most of Vincent Leow's performance works to date have been held in Singapore and include titles such as 'Art Commandoes', 'Friendship', 'Serious Conversation', '5 Ba– nanas', and most recently in 1992 'Life– styles of the Rich and Famous: The Three Legged Toad'. Vincent Leow has received numerous commissions for sculpture and installation projects in Singapore and has been awarded grants and scholarships from the Maryland Institute, Baltimore and the Lee Foundation, Singapore aswell as two Singapore Cultural Arts Grants. Like many young artists in Singapore, Vincent Leow adopts multimedia, mult i– disciplinary approaches in his practice. He deals with a wide range of issues including ecological despoliation, private and public identities, the limits of liberty and expression, the pressures of urbanisation, and the power and dominance of the State. Vincent Leow's works and presentations are never polite; they possess a rawness, an edge; they leap out and confront the public head on. In the presence of his work one cannot be acquiescent; one is forced to SINGAPORE VINCENT LEOW Top Friends 1991 Oil and enamel oncanvas 77 x110cm Collection: Private collection rethink and redefine assumptions. Behind the powerful impact of his works the artist pays great attention to the process of making; whether employing conventional aesthetic materials or objects scavenged from urban garbage, Vincent Leow considers the logic of form and structure carefully. T. K. Sabapathy 43 Bottom Wedding gift 1991 Oil and enamel on canvas 83x96cm Collection: Private collection