Ng Eng Teng, Untitled (Sprout), 1991

Raku-fired stoneware
63 x 24 x 34 cm (sculpture)
15 x 15 x 15 cm (wooden pedestal)
Condition: Very good
Acquired directly from the artist.
Collection of the late Chief Editor of Lianhe Zaobao, Mr Loy Teck Juan.
Thence by descent to the present owner.

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Best known for his public sculptures, Ng Eng Teng carried the study of the body into three dimensions with a seriousness few of his peers brought to the figure. He was a member of Group 90, a circle that formed to keep life drawing and the nude alive as disciplines at a time when few institutions would take them seriously.

Ng was drawn again and again to the body in parts, the breast, the phallus, the isolated form abstracted from the whole. He worked by metamorphosis, though he was never a Surrealist: he began each sculpture with only a vague sense of what it might become, letting one shape follow another until a final form emerged.

This piece is Ng playing openly with form and dimension, making the sculpture several things at the same time, and leaving the resolving to whoever stands in front of it.

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Ng Eng Teng (Singaporean, 1934–2001) was a seminal figure in Singaporean sculpture, celebrated for his figurative works found in public spaces across the country. Renowned pieces include "Mother And Child" outside Far East Shopping Centre and "The Explorer" at the entrance of the Singapore Art Museum. Ng's career was distinguished by his blend of Eastern and Western influences, honed through formal training at the Slade School of Fine Art in London.

Returning to Singapore, Ng initially worked in applied arts, designing ceramics for Carrigaline Pottery in County Cork, Ireland. However, he felt drawn to pursue his passion for sculpting and returned to his homeland. Ng's artistic journey was marked by financial challenges, but he persevered, eventually establishing himself as a full-time sculptor.

His career reached new heights with solo exhibitions and prestigious awards, including the Cultural Medallion Award in 1981 for his contributions to Singapore's art scene.

(Photographed in July 2026)

Raku-fired stoneware
63 x 24 x 34 cm (sculpture)
15 x 15 x 15 cm (wooden pedestal)
Condition: Very good
Acquired directly from the artist.
Collection of the late Chief Editor of Lianhe Zaobao, Mr Loy Teck Juan.
Thence by descent to the present owner.

-

Best known for his public sculptures, Ng Eng Teng carried the study of the body into three dimensions with a seriousness few of his peers brought to the figure. He was a member of Group 90, a circle that formed to keep life drawing and the nude alive as disciplines at a time when few institutions would take them seriously.

Ng was drawn again and again to the body in parts, the breast, the phallus, the isolated form abstracted from the whole. He worked by metamorphosis, though he was never a Surrealist: he began each sculpture with only a vague sense of what it might become, letting one shape follow another until a final form emerged.

This piece is Ng playing openly with form and dimension, making the sculpture several things at the same time, and leaving the resolving to whoever stands in front of it.

-

Ng Eng Teng (Singaporean, 1934–2001) was a seminal figure in Singaporean sculpture, celebrated for his figurative works found in public spaces across the country. Renowned pieces include "Mother And Child" outside Far East Shopping Centre and "The Explorer" at the entrance of the Singapore Art Museum. Ng's career was distinguished by his blend of Eastern and Western influences, honed through formal training at the Slade School of Fine Art in London.

Returning to Singapore, Ng initially worked in applied arts, designing ceramics for Carrigaline Pottery in County Cork, Ireland. However, he felt drawn to pursue his passion for sculpting and returned to his homeland. Ng's artistic journey was marked by financial challenges, but he persevered, eventually establishing himself as a full-time sculptor.

His career reached new heights with solo exhibitions and prestigious awards, including the Cultural Medallion Award in 1981 for his contributions to Singapore's art scene.

(Photographed in July 2026)

Artwork located in: Singapore