Tow’s encounter with papermaking in the Philippines in 1985 and the subsequent workshops and residencies that she attended in the United States and Japan led to a shift in her practice towards paper casting, collage and painted abstractions. Tread Quietly Through the Rainforest (1992) is a collaged work by Tow. Here four fluid forms, resembling steps presents vignettes of the rich sensations evoked by the creatures and plants in the rainforest at night. Eng Tow was born in Singapore in 1947. She graduated from the Winchester School of Art in Hampshire, with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in 1972. In 1974, Eng Tow received her Master of Arts from Royal College of Art, London. After graduating, Eng Tow worked as a freelance textile designer in London, and lectured at various institutions including the Buckinghamshire College of Higher Education, Trent Polytechnic, West Surrey College of Art and Goldsmiths College, UK.
