Theatre practitioner, sculptor and poet awarded Cultural Medallion

THEATRE practitioner Alvin Tan, sculptor Chong Fah Cheong and poet K T M Iqbal will be bestowed the Cultural Medallion, Singapore's highest award for artistic excellence, by President Tony Tan Keng Yam on Thursday evening at the Istana.

Sixty-eight-year-old Mr Chong, the artist behind the sculpture of five boys taking flying leaps into the Singapore River, expressed joy at receiving the prize, although his work has not taken the more abstract tack favoured by most of his peers.

He said: "My art has always touched on subjects which were experiences of my childhood here in Singapore... Perhaps this is not thought of as something profound; it is simple and everyday, it is relevant to our Singapore life."