See Hiang To

Introduction

See Hiang To (施香沱; 1906–1990) was a pioneering artist in Chinese painting, calligraphy and seal-carving. Born in Longxi, China, See came to Singapore in 1938 when he was 32. In 1941, he was appointed to teach at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, a position he held for more than 40 years. He served as the President of Society of Chinese Artists from 1976 to 1977 and Vice-President from 1978 to 1981. See was well-known for his works in calligraphy and seal-carving.

Throughout his career, he held solo exhibitions in 1940, 1970 and 1983 and for his excellence in Art and distinguished achievements, he was awarded the Public Service Star National Day Award in 1973.

Selected books on See Hiang To

• 施香沱 [See Hiang To]. (1980). 施香沱书法 [Calligraphy of See Hiang To]. 新加坡 : 啸涛篆刻书画会, 1980. Call no.: RCLOS 745.619951 SXT
  This title provides a selection of See’s calligraphy.
  

• 施香沱 [See Hiang To]. (1980). 施香沱篆刻团绘合辑 [Collected works of See Hiang To: Chinese paintings and seal-engravings]. 新加坡 : 墨澜社, 1982. Call no.: RSING 759.95957 SXT
  Besides paintings, See Hiang To was also well known in the field of seal-engravings. This title contained a collection of his works with Chinese and English captions for the images.
  

• 先驱画家施香沱的艺术世界 [Pioneer Artist See Hiang To’s World of Art]. 新加坡 : Singapore Art Museum, 1997. Call no.: Adult Lending 759.95957 SXT
  This is a collection of See Hiang To’s works showcased from the exhibition “先驱画家施香沱的艺术世界” [Pioneer Artist See Hiang To's World of Art] held at the Singapore Art Museum on 11 March 1997.
  

• 施香沱 [See Hiang To]. (1989). 香沱丛稿 [Collected works of See Hiang To: Chinese paintings and seal-engravings]. 新加坡 : 万里书局, 1989. Call no.: RSING 700 SXT
  This title is a compilation of the art criticism and essays that See had wrote over the years.
  

• 柯木林. (主编). [Ke, M. L. (Ed.).] (1995). 新华历史人物列传 [Who’s who in the Chinese community of Singapore]. 新加坡: 教育出版公司, p. 142. Call no.: RSING 959.570092 WHO-[HIS].
  The book contains the biographies of 1,175 Chinese personalities in Singapore, covering the period from 1819 to 1990. Each biography contains the birth and death dates, dialect group, occupation and affiliated organisations of the Chinese personality. See Hiang To’s biography is also included.
  

Selected Newspapers articles on See Hiang To

• 文化界前辈施香沱逝世. [Veteran of the Cultural Sphere See Hiang To Passed Away] (1990, April 26). 联合晚报, p. 8. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  This article reports on the demise of See at the age of 86. The article covers his life and his works.
  

• Lin, W.J [林万菁]. (1990, May 1). 自食其力·诲人不倦]. [Self-reliant and Dedicated to Education.] 联合早报, p.40. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  This is an article written by See’s student on his teacher’s lifetime career in the arts and also his personal account of him. A portrait of the art pioneer and selected calligraphy are also included.
  

• 星华筹账大会主办施香沱书画展览所筹款项全数捐账祖国伤难一切費用由龙溪会馆同人报效 [Singapore Chinese Relief Fund Committee Organised Exhibition of See Hiang To's works. All Donations Go Towards the China Relief Fund. Members of Leong Khay Huay Kuan Paid for the Expenses]. (1940, October 14). 南洋商报, p. 8. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  This is a report on the exhibition of See’s works to raise relief funds for China, organised by the Singapore Leong Khay Huay Kuan in 1940.
  

Selected Oral History Interviews on See Hiang To

• Tay, L. T. (Interviewer). (2010, September 20). Oral history interview with Tan, Kian Por [Accession No. 003447, reels 2–3 of 26]. Retrieved from National Archives of Singapore website: http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/
  This is an interview with Tan Kian Por, the Cultural Medallion winner for Visual Arts in 2001. In the interview, he talked about his teacher, See Hiang To, on his influence, their relationship and See’s works.
  

• Tay, L. T. (Interviewer). (2010, September 15). Oral history interview with Lee, Hock Moh [Accession No. 003450, reel 8 of 24]. Retrieved from National Archives of Singapore website: http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/
  An interview with Lee, a Singaporean artist who was awarded the Cultural Medallion for Visual Arts in 1981. In the interview, he talked about the calligraphy styles of his teacher, See Hiang To, and his encounters with his teacher.