Tang Da Wu, born in 1943, is widely regarded as the central figure in the development of ‘alternative’ art in Singapore. A graduate from Goldsmith College, University of London with a Master of Art, he led a group of younger artists to establish The Artists Village in Singapore in 1988, where performance, installation and painting took place. Since the late 1990s, Tang has been working on community projects that deal with memory, history as well as environmental issues. In 1999, Tang was awarded the Arts and Culture Prize at the 10th Fukuoka Asian Culture Prizes and in 2007, he was one of four artists who represented Singapore at the Venice Biennale.To Tang, drawing is an important aspect in his art practice as it helps him develop his ideas. Together with ‘Dances with Turtles I’, he demonstrates his concern for the exploitation of the environment which is brought about by consumerism, and if left unchecked, would bring about the eventual destruction and extinction of nature.
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