Constantly evolving in form and style

UPON clinching Singapore's most prestigious arts award - the Cultural Medallion - two years ago, artist Ho Ho Ying revealed that he intended to spend the $80,000 grant that came with it on a solo exhibition of his past works. And this month, the 78-year-old artist's plans have finally materialised in the form of an exhibition titled Ho Ho Ying - Present, which opened at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa) Galleries on March 1.

Ho wanted to showcase his work from the 1950s till recent years at his seventh solo exhibition simply because he felt it was the right time, he says.

"I'm already almost 80 years old, and I've had solo shows before but those were always categorised by the type of art," he points out. "This one takes one or two works here and there from the beginning till now. And it's right after the Cultural Medallion, so it's a good time for me to open up to the public," adds Ho, who was born in Hainan, China, and moved to Singapore around 1951.