Born in 1937 in Indonesia, Goh Beng Kwan moved to Singapore in 1945. In the 1950s, he studied Chinese ink painting with Chen Wen Hsi, one of Singapore’s pioneer artists. In 1963, he studied at the Art Students League of New York where he was introduced to collage and Abstract Expressionism. Goh was awarded the first prize of the inaugural UOB Painting of the Year in 1982 and conferred the Cultural Medallion by the Singapore government in 1989.In the 1970s and 1980s, Singapore experienced a period of intense urbanization, particularly in older estates such as Kreta Ayer. ‘Kreta Ayer Urban Renewal’ which features free flowing lines and a myriad of forms, shapes and patterns is Goh’s interpretation of the rapid changes in this estate. It is a collage, the technique of art production which Goh is best known for.
