Han Sai Por facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Han Sai Por
韩少芙
The smaller of two pieces making up Han's Seeds (2006), at the National Museum of Singapore
Born	Han Sai Por (1943-07-19) 19 July 1943 (age 81) Syonan (Singapore during Japanese occupation)
Nationality	Singaporean
Education	Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (1968) East Ham College of Art (1980) Wolverhampton College of Art (B.A. (Hons.) (Fine Art), 1983) Lincoln University
Known for	Sculpture
Notable work	Seed Series (1998) 20 Tonnes (2002)
Movement	Postmodernism
Awards	Cultural Medallion for Art (1995) winner, drawing and sculpture section, XI Triennale – India (New Delhi, 2005) Outstanding City Sculpture Award (China, 2006)
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	韓少芙
Simplified Chinese	韩少芙
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Hán Shào Fú Southern Min Hokkien POJ Hân Siáu-phû

A sculpture shaped like a fruit or seed by Han Sai Por in the grounds of the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.

Han Sai Por (Chinese: 韓少芙; born 19 July 1943) is a famous Singaporean sculptor. She creates amazing art, especially sculptures made from stone. Han Sai Por studied art in Singapore and the United Kingdom. Before becoming a full-time artist in 1997, she taught art at different schools.

Her sculptures can be found all over the world, including Japan, Malaysia, and the United States. In Singapore, you can see her art at places like the National Museum of Singapore and Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3. Han Sai Por was also the first President of the Sculpture Society (Singapore). She is known for her unique way of making stone look alive and natural.

Who is Han Sai Por?

Han Sai Por was born on 19 July 1943, in Singapore. Her family was not rich, and they lived in a simple house made of cardboard and coconut leaves. Despite this, she had a happy childhood. She loved playing at the beach, making animal shapes from sand. This helped her to love nature and explore new things. When she was ten, her mother gave her a book about Michelangelo's sculptures, which inspired her.

Han Sai Por's Education and Early Career

Han Sai Por went to Yock Eng High School and later to the Singapore Teachers' Training College. She worked as a teacher while also taking art classes at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). She saved money and then traveled to the United Kingdom to study fine art. To support herself there, she worked many jobs, like a cook, hotel maid, waitress, and even a street artist.

After returning to Singapore in 1983, she became one of the first teachers for a new art program at Nanyang Girls' High School. She also taught part-time at other art colleges. Later, she studied landscape architecture in New Zealand.

Han Sai Por's Artistic Journey

Han Sai Por has shown her art in many exhibitions both in Singapore and in other countries like China, Japan, and New Zealand. Her very first solo exhibition, called Four Dimensions, was held in 1993. This was a big step in her career.

Becoming a Full-Time Artist

In 1997, Han Sai Por decided to become a full-time sculptor. Her sculptures are now displayed in many public places around the world. For example, her work Childhood Dream is in Japan, and Towards Peace is in Malaysia. In Singapore, you can find her art at places like Capital Tower and the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.

Shimmering Pearls I (1999), Han's first work in glass, in front of Capital Tower.

In 2001, she helped start the Sculpture Society (Singapore) and is still its Honorary President. In 2009, she became the first artist to work at the Society's Sculpture Pavilion in Fort Canning Park. There, she created sculptures from the trunks of tembusu trees. This project allowed her to work in public and interact with people.

Understanding Han Sai Por's Art

Han Sai Por is most famous for her stone sculptures that look like natural, organic shapes. She believes her sculptures have "an inner life struggling to get out." She loves working with granite and marble. She says that in the way wind and water shape rocks, you can find the true meaning of life. She often buys her stone from quarries in different countries.

Famous Stone Sculptures

Some of her well-known stone sculptures include:

• Growth (1985): Five pear-shaped forms made of white marble.
• Spirit of Nature (1988): Three black granite shapes that look like eggs or spheres.
• Object C (1992): A light grey granite object that looks like a canoe.
• Seeds (2006): Large kernels carved from sandstone. These are located at the National Museum of Singapore.

Seeds (2006) in the grounds of the National Museum of Singapore.

Art experts say that Han Sai Por's sculptures show the connection between humans and nature. They want people to remember that we are part of nature, not separate from it. Her works often feel strong and simple, like the very first forms of sculpture. They are solid and smooth, inviting you to touch them and feel their energy.

Exploring Different Forms

Besides organic shapes, Han Sai Por has also created geometric sculptures. Her exhibition Four Dimensions (1993) featured ten geometric structures. She explained that these works show how mathematical logic can create art. She believes the "fourth dimension" is an abstract space that holds human feelings and talents, which she wants to share with everyone.

Another important work is 20 Tonnes (2002). This sculpture is made of six large, ridged granite blocks and two smaller ones, all cut from a single huge rock. It is now at the National Museum. Han Sai Por says this work shows how nature reacts to forces like gravity and energy. When she works with stone, the physical effort of hammering and chiseling creates heat and sound, and the final shape of the stone is the result of this energy.

20 Tonnes (2002).

Art curator Tay Swee Lin describes Han's sculptures as having "smooth, sensual lines" that are calm and inviting. Her art shows the beauty and strength of stone and metal. Han Sai Por creates her sculptures by hand, carefully carving, sanding, and polishing them. In Singapore, where land is scarce, her art helps people appreciate the delicate balance of nature in a city environment.

Han Sai Por believes that in Postmodernism, if an artist says something is art and can show a valuable idea, then it is art.

Awards and Recognition

Han Sai Por has received many awards for her contributions to art.

• In 1988, she won the Best Entry Award for her sculpture in a show called Basics.
• In 1990, she received a scholarship to study at the Portland Sculpture Park in England. There, she helped turn an old limestone quarry into a sculpture park.
• In 1995, she was given the prestigious Cultural Medallion for Art. This is one of Singapore's highest awards for artists. The award described her as a "consummate carver" who is very passionate about sculpture.
• In 2005, she won the sculpture and painting section at the 11th Triennale – India for her Bud, Leaf and Seed Series.
• The following year, she won the Outstanding City Sculpture Award in China.

In 2008, she received a grant to create new art installations based on Singapore's plants.

Major Exhibitions

Han Sai Por's art has been shown in many important exhibitions around the world. Here are some of them:

Images for kids

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  Flora Inspiration (2007) at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3.

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  A seed sculpture by Han at the St. Regis Singapore hotel.