Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam (b. 7 February 1940, Singapore–) was the seventh president of Singapore. He entered into politics in 1979 and served as a minister in the cabinet, holding at various times the portfolios of education, defense, finance, health, and trade and industry. He served as president for one term between 1 September 2011 to 31 August 2017. Commissioned in 2023 for the Istana Art Collection, the artist, Fan Shao Hua has captured the president's "calm and dignified presence" (as described by PM Lee Hsien Loong, quoted in article on The Straits Times, 31 August 2017), through the use of warm bur restrained colour palette, and the skillful framing of the president's figure with contrasting effect of light and shadow created by the distinct architectural features of Istana. The artist created this portrait by referring to a photograph of the president taken during his presidential term as well as other archival photographs showing the interior of Istana, further complementing these with a live sketch session with Dr Tony Tan himself. Born in Guangzhou, China, in 1963, Fan Shao Hua graduated from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts with a BA in Fine Arts in 1985. Since moving to Singapore in 1992, he has won several notable accolades including the 2000 UOB Painting of the Year Award (Open Section). The artist is highly versatile and works across the medium of oil, ink and watercolour.
