2009-2019: From Social Realism to Speculative Fiction and Silkpunk - 10 Years of Comics Art

Artist: Koh Hong Teng

30 November - 21 December 2019

Mulan Gallery presents 2009-2019: From Social Realism to Speculative Fiction and Silkpunk - 10 Years of Comics Art, a solo exhibition by award-winning comics artist Koh hong Teng.

The exhibition marks a 10-year milestone in Koh’s journey as a full-time comics artist, and features original art pages from well-known titles that have offered glimpses into social realities, hawker traditions, architecture and many aspects of Singapore to the world. It also showcases some of the original art work on fantasy and sword-fighting novels inspired by favourite stories from his youth.

At this exhibition, Koh offers a sneak preview of his latest work, The Assassins Book One: Cao Mo done in collaboration with writer S Mickey Lin. This latest graphic novel is the first in a series of five based on the Biographies of Assassins featured in the Records of the Grand Historian written by China’s greatest historian, Sima Qian. A gripping tale that is part fantastical and part historical, the story visually unfolds in one epic continuous panel in Koh’s most ambitious project to date.

Koh is distinguished by his meticulously detailed art and sensitive approach to fleshing out his characters. A multiple award-winning comics artist who thrives on reinventing himself while staying true to his roots, Koh is always striving for the best way to bring a story to life.

Over the past 10 years, his graphic narrative has transitioned from social realism to speculative fiction and now, to silkpunk (a blend of science fiction and fantasy inspired by classical East Asian antiquity). He has won accolades for his cult classic graphic novels Gone Case Vol 1 (2010) and Vol 2 (2011), both written by award-winning local novelist Dave Chua. He has also won a Bronze Award at the 7th International MANGA Awards for Ten Sticks and One Rice (written by Oh Yong Hwee) as well as Best Illustrated Non Fiction and Book of the Year 2017 Awards by the Singapore Book Publishers Association for Building Memories, an interactive art book that has been described as “a time capsule in a book format”.

About Koh hong Teng

Koh Hong Teng (b.1969) is a Singapore-based multiple award-winning graphic novel artist. He graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1993 and obtained his honours degree in Graphic Design (Illustration) at London College of Printing (The London Institute) in the following year.

Koh self-published his first graphic novel titled 01321 in 1996. Page one of this novel went on to win the Gold Award in digital art category at the inaugural Siggraph Asia Pacific Animation and Digital Art Competition 2001. He continued winning accolades for his work after becoming a full-time comics artist in 2009. These include a Bronze Award at the 7th International MANGA Awards for Ten Sticks and One Rice and Best Illustrated Non Fiction and Book of the Year 2017 Awards by the Singapore Book Publishers Association for Building Memories.

Koh is distinguished by his meticulously detailed art and sensitive approach to fleshing out his characters. As a comics artist, his graphic narrative has transitioned from social realism to speculative fiction and now, to silkpunk (a blend of science fiction and fantasy inspired by classical East Asian antiquity).