Goh’s interest in art developed in the 1950s at Hwa Chong High School under pioneer artist Chen Wen Hsi, from whom he learned the basics of drawing and painting during weekly art classes. His works were often held up as outstanding examples to his fellow students, so much so that he was invited to Chen’s house on the weekends for more instruction.

Despite this, it was surprising that Goh failed art in the final examination. As it turned out, he was already ahead of his time. While his peers did still life, he was already exploring abstract art. He later travelled to New York to further his arts education at Arts Students League of New York.

“America really opened my eyes. For a young boy like me to go to a big city, it was really an opportunity to learn. So every day after school, I would visit the museums, including the Metropolitan Museum Of Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum,” shares Goh. “Even when you walk down Fifth Avenue, you can learn a lot from the window displays of stores such as Tiffany & Co.”

He later held his first solo exhibition at the Ruth Sherman Gallery in New York in 1965.

Read more: Why This Couple’s Art Collection Consists of Paintings by Pioneering Singapore Artists

The turning point in his career as a full-time artist came was when he won the first UOB Painting of the Year in 1982 with his work, The Dune. “It gave me the recognition and confidence to become a full-time artist,” he says.

He was later awarded the Cultural Medallion in 1989, and many of his works can be seen around Singapore at such locations such as Farrer Park Hospital and Conrad Centennial Singapore.

Taking inspiration from his travels and his surroundings, Goh is renowned for his bold, innovative work as a collage artist, whose mixed media art were experiments of various mediums such as Chinese ink, acrylic paint and watercolour, as well as tapestry, paper pulp and even ceramic paintings.

“A lot of people say that my father is very a ‘feelings’ artist,” shares Hazeleen. “He paints based on his feelings. If you notice, his earlier works from when he was a student in New York—and didn’t have much money—are much darker with a muted palette, and not as bright as his newer works where he’s much happier. But during the Covid-19 pandemic, you see the colours used are very dark, reflecting feelings of stress and fear. My father wanted to record these emotions through his works.”

In case you missed it: Cheong Soo Pieng: 4 Things to Know About the Singapore Pioneer Artist and His Ink Paintings

Goh is a passionate advocate of the therapeutic benefits of art in supporting mental wellbeing, so part of the proceeds from the tickets sold for the exhibition will be donated to the Singapore Association for Mental Health.

While he considers this retrospective as one of the milestones of his career, Goh is not resting on his laurels. He hopes to return to New York for another solo show, and hopefully stage an exhibition in China.

Both father and daughter also have more ideas up their sleeves, including one involving senior and young artists creating traditional and digital art. Goh also hope to do a series on Japan’s Mount Fuji, which he visited before the pandemic and is compelled to return once borders open.

Read more: Change Agents: Social Artist Duo Hunny and Lummy Discuss Mental Health Issues in Their Art

#GBK85 runs until May 29, at  Conrad Centennial Singapore.

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