Thomas Yeo: Colour as Subject

Rushing Stream
Born in Singapore in 1936, Thomas Yeo's first ever encounter with art was as a student at Tao Nan Primary School. The compulsory art classes he attended sparked a long term love affair with the subject, and from there he began to consider it as a serious pursuit. He researched seminal artists such Van Gogh, Gauguin and Picasso, whose inspirations can be seen in his own works.  Yeo’s formal art studies started in 1958 when he attended the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, graduating in 1960 before studying at the Chelsea School of Art in London. He also attended classes at the Hammersmith College of Art and Building, not wanting to waste any time in London. These three schools provided him with vastly different experiences, experience that he would later make use of in his art practice, becoming a prominent Singapore second-generation artist.


Yangshue Revisited
Throughout his many years of painting, Yeo has embarked on long journeys to the furthest borders of Asia, drawing further inspiration from the natural landscapes presented to him. These excursions deepened his insights, allowing him to learn not only from other paintings and painters, but from nature directly.


Turquoise Lake
His quiet surrealist natural environments are sometimes referred to as "mindscapes", portraying dream-like landscapes with wispy trees and soft, gentle colours. The blues of the water and greens of the tree leaves contrast gorgeously against the orange sunset sky. The way these colours work with and against each other is a characteristic feature of Yeo's work. Although beautiful depictions of nature, the scene's colours are stretched from reality, the greens seemingly melting into the sunset. Fellow artist and critic Chia Wai Hon has described Yeo as "first and foremost a colourist" after observing how his paintings have colour as the topmost priority and subject as only secondary. 


Valley
This prioritisation of colour above all else can also be seen through this painting. The pink leaves are too pink to be realistic, but they stand out distinctly against the white and blue sky. The pink seems to bleed into the landscape, staining the hills with its colour. It creates a stunning image, exalting not the subject of nature, but rather, the colours it is capable of creating.  Yeo’s works have been exhibited all over the globe, in Singapore, Asia, Europe and the US. He has held an astounding 39 solo exhibitions and participated in more than 100. Additionally, he also worked to promote art in Singapore, serving in multiple committees and juries that aim to provide art with corporate support. In 1984, he not only received the UOB Painting of the Year award but also the Cultural Medallion for his contributions to visual arts in Singapore, further cementing his fame and reputation as one of Singapore’s national treasures.