SINGAPORE — Four of Singapore’s most eminent arts practitioners have been feted with the Cultural Medallion from the National Arts Council (NAC), Singapore’s highest honours in the arts.

They are Realist painter Chua Mia Tee, the Necessary Stage’s resident playwright Haresh Sharma, Chinese language author Lim Hung Chang — also known as Lin Gao — and avant-garde musician Margaret Leng Tan.

Chua, 84, is considered one of the most respected Realist painters in Singapore, and known for paintings such as National Language Class (1959) as well as the ubiquitous portrait of President Yusof Ishak on the Singapore dollar notes.

Playwright Haresh Sharma, 50, has written more than 100 plays, including Off Centre, which became the first Singaporean play to be included in the Ministry of Education’s O-Level syllabus for English Literature. Sharma received the Young Artist Award in 1997 and the South-east Asian Writers Award last year. Meanwhile, Lin Gao, 66, won the Singapore Literature Prize for Chinese fiction for Lin Gao Wei Xing Xiao Shuo last year; while Tan, 70, known for playing the toy piano, trained and collaborated with American avant-garde composer John Cage and has released 13 albums.

Sharma, accepting his award from President Tony Tan at the Istana tonight (Oct 16), urged more support for artists. “If our mindsets can’t change, then there is very little hope for our attitudes to change — our attitude towards censorship and regulation, our attitude towards openness and dialogue, our attitude towards risk-taking, and ultimately, our attitude towards the value of the artist in society. I’m taking this platform as a Cultural Medallion recipient to say please support our artists unconditionally.”

Lin, who spoke in Mandarin, said: “I hope I have done ... my part in elevating Chinese literature. With many Singaporean artists like me doing their part to represent their artistic passions, I believe that Singaporean arts and culture will shine bright in the region and the world, and will one day become an irreplaceable aspect of our national image.”

Seven other artists were presented with the Young Artist Award. The award is given to artists aged 35 years and below, who are making a mark through their artistic dynamism and outstanding potential to be key contributors in the artistic community.

The recipients include film-maker Kirsten Tan, multi-disciplinary artist Loo Zihan, composer Diana Soh, lighting designer James Tan, musician Riduan Zalani and artists twins Chun Kai Feng and Chun Kai Qun; who received the award from Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu.

Each Cultural Medallion recipient will be eligible for an S$80,000 grant to help further their practice and support their continuous artistic pursuits; while the Young Artist Award recipient is eligible for a grant worth S$20,000.

“It is gratifying for us to be able to recognise and celebrate the achievement of our Cultural Medallion and Young Artist Award recipients. As individuals, they have each made indelible contributions to our cultural landscape with their unwavering pursuit of excellence in their respective fields,” said Kathy Lai, chief executive officer, NAC. “Their creativity and perseverance inspire young artists and Singaporeans alike.”