National Gallery Singapore presents Teo Eng Seng: We’re Happy. Are You Happy? as part of the SG Artist series, where you can discover the innovative spirit of Singapore artists and their commitment to experimental artmaking. This is the most expansive solo exhibition yet, celebrating Teo’s profound impact on the Singapore art scene.

Teo Eng Seng (b. 1938, Singapore) is an artist whose dynamic, seven-decade career is marked by a playful and evolving approach. Teo transforms everyday materials into vibrant works of art, embedding humour and irony into his socially engaged practice. His creations, full of spontaneous and vivid compositions, reflect his tongue-in-cheek takes on personal and broader social events.

Teo’s practice undermines conventional ways of thinking about and making art while staying relevant to local and global issues. By asking “We’re Happy. Are You Happy?” the exhibition invites you to explore Teo’s honest and witty negotiation between self and society.

Teo Eng Seng (b. 1938, Singapore) is an innovative artist who has shaped Singapore’s art scene significantly. Known for his emotive and raw style, Teo experiments with various mediums, including oil painting and plastic waste, but is most famous for creating “paperdyesculp,” dyed papier-mâché mixed with other materials and shaped into artworks.

Teo was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 1986 for his contributions to visual arts, and is recognised for his services to art education and for playing an advisory role to various art institutions and national committees.

At the age of 19, armed with just £25, Teo embarked on an adventurous journey hitch-hiking through India, Pakistan, and Europe with five fellow Sea Scouts before reaching Britain.

To finance his studies, he diligently worked in various roles, including at a textile company, tyre factories, and cleaning railroad bridges, all while attending night classes at the Central School of Arts and Crafts (now Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design) in London for two years.