Eugene Tan

Eugene Tan believes in the transformative power of art—and has dedicated his career to making it central to society. As CEO of National Gallery Singapore and Singapore Art Museum (SAM) since 2024, and head of the Visual Arts Cluster comprising the Gallery, SAM and STPI, he plays a pivotal role in shaping Singapore’s visual arts landscape.

An accomplished curator, Tan’s notable exhibitions include Ho Tzu Nyen: Time and the Tiger (2023) at SAM, and at the Gallery, Awakenings: Art in Society in Asia 1960s–1990s (2019), Minimalism: Space, Light and Object (2018), Reframing Modernism: Painting from Southeast Asia, Europe and Beyond (2016), and Siapa Nama Kamu? Art from Singapore since the 19th Century (2015). He also curated the inaugural Singapore Biennale (2006) and the Singapore Pavilion at the 2005 Venice Biennale.

Previously, Tan served as programme director for special projects at the Singapore Economic Development Board, where he oversaw the development of the Gillman Barracks art district. He has also led institutions such as the Sotheby’s Institute of Art – Singapore and the Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore.

In 2025, National Gallery Singapore celebrates its 10th anniversary with landmark exhibitions including City of Others: Asian Artists in Paris, 1920s–1940s, Into the Modern: Impressionism from MFA, Boston, and a refreshed DBS Singapore Gallery.