Teo Eng Seng, Fu Lu Shou, 1986

Mixed media on canvas
117 x 137 cm (visible), 124 x 144 x 4 cm (framed)
Condition: Very good. The condition is consistent with the age of the work. With an Alpha Gallery label affixed (on the reverse).

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Teo Eng Seng (Singaporean, b. 1938) is a pioneering multidisciplinary artist and art educator best known for inventing the “paperdyesculp” technique, a term coined by Teo to emphasise the uniqueness of his personal medium. Paperdyesculp involves sculpting dyed paper pulp into dyanmic forms, either on flat surfaces or as freestanding three-dimensional works. Through fusing elements of painting, collage, relief and sculpture, Teo's trailblazing technique defies conventional artistic categorisations. 

Educated at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and the Hornsey College of Art in London, Teo has been a central figure in Singapore’s modern art development since the 1960s. He received the Cultural Medallion in 1986 for his contributions to the visual arts and continues to teach, advise and create today, still continuously shaping the region's cultural identity. 

Teo’s artistic philosophy embraces innovation, process, and cultural identity. His unique pieces blur the boundaries between painting and sculpture, offering textured surfaces that explore humanity, memory, and the environment. Fu Lu Shou was on show at the Alpha Gallery in 1980, the name referencing the trio of Chinese gods (Blessings, Prosperity and Longevity) that are often depicted in Chinese art. Teo's titling of the piece indicates a blending of Eastern and Western artistic influences.

(Photographed in October 2025)