Between Lines

Koh Hong Teng

19 July 2014 - 19 August 2014 (Reception: 18 July 2014)

An exhibition of original comic art pages by award-winning artist, Koh Hong Teng. Besides past works such as Gone Case (2010) and Ten Sticks and One Rice (2012), this exhibition will also feature pages from his recent book ‘Last Train from Tanjong Pagar’, which will be launched on 19 July 2014 at Books Kinokuniya Main Store.

Last Train from Tanjong Pagar
[a Tribute to Tanjong Pagar Railway]
The Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) train that ran between Singapore and Malaysia for almost 80 years was rerouted to Woodlands Train Checkpoint following the closure of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station - now a gazetted national monument in June 2011. Based on real tours led by architecture historian Lai Chee Kien, Last Train from Tanjong Pagar follows a group of heritage enthusiasts as they discover Singapore’s railway heritage, and gather with passengers from all walks of life for one final ride out of Tanjong Pagar station.Seamlessly blending fact and fiction, Koh Hong Teng has produced a timely and thought-provoking graphic homage to our trains and not only the physical journeys but also the human connections they have made possible.

Ten Sticks and One Rice
Illegal Bookie -Triad Member - Street Hawker, Neo Hock Seng is all these, and more. As Singapore transforms from a kampong to a cosmopolitan city, Hock Seng struggles to make sense of life and eke out a living, even as he finds his old ways and values increasingly challenged.
* Winner of the 7th International Manga Award (Bronze), 2014

Gone Case
Gone Case adapts the award-winning novel of the same name into a comic book format. Told over two volumes, the story follows a year in the life of 12-year old Yong, as the death of his grandmother sets off a series of events that gradually tear his family apart. At school, he finds himself facing the stresses of the Singapore educational system, while his friendship with his best friend is tested. Gone Case is a down-to-earth depiction of living in a typical Singaporean housing estate, told through the eyes of a young boy.

About Koh Hong Teng
Koh Hong Teng completed his diploma in Graphic Design at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Singapore) in 1993, and obtained his honours degree in Graphic Design (Illustration) at The London Institute in 1994.
After a short stint as a graphic journalist with The New Paper, Hong Teng embarked on a 2-year collaboration to illustrate a graphic novel, titled 01321. Self-published in 1996, the page one of 01321 won the gold award in digital art category at the inaugural Siggraph Asia Pacific Animation and Digital Art Competition 2001. From 1997-2002, Hong Teng was the design director at Patroids Creative Works. In 2008, he was the gold award recipient for Siggraph Asia Pacific Animation & Digital Art Competition. His book ‘Ten Sticks and One Rice’ is the winner of the 7th International Manga Award 2014.