Low Hai Hong (1941 - 2020)

Low Hai Hong was born in Indonesia in 1941. He spent his early childhood in Jambi and moved to Singapore at age 5. Showing keen interest in art, he later attended the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1961 and studied Western Painting under pioneer artist Georgette Chen. The next 3 decades after his graduation in 1963 were dedicated to his career in interior design and construction. Although Low continued to practise art while working, it was only after his retirement from the corporate world in 1992 that he was able to pursue his passion wholeheartedly. An avid traveller, Low visited several cities around the world, documenting his observations and sharing his experiences through his works. He frequented Indonesia in the 1990s, going back to his hometown as well as visiting other parts of Indonesia such as Jakarta and Bali. In 2001, he became a resident artist at the NAFA studios at the Cité Internationale des Art, Paris for 5 months and from 2003 to 2006, set up his art studio in Malacca, Malaysia. He later took interest in Shanghai and based many of his activities and works in the Chinese city. The artist has exhibited his impressive oil paintings in 7 solo shows, with each featuring an exquisite collection of paintings from the places he had been to. Low was later elected President of the NAFA Alumni Association in 2010, a position he held for 10 years until his passing in 2020.