Andrew Yip, M.ed, B.A.Hons, Dip Ed.D, RIM, RPM, Assoc. NVGA, ACES, FRGS, UNESCO Fellow
Author and Consultant
A person who spends his days in several countries, and enjoys travelling and doing consultancy work, writes books and poetry and taking photographs. A former university and government administrator, psychologist, educationist, Army Major and Property Developer, but nowadays he spends more tme in cultural pursuits.
http://www.SingaporePhotoPoetry.blogspot.com
http://www.Leaves-Of-Life.blogspot.com
Sale of Photographs of {Master Lensman, Yip Cheong Fun (1984 Cultural Medallion, SINGAPORE) } at Pagoda Street (China Town)
Email :
Biography of Yip Cheong Fun
Approach
Influence
Yip has influenced not only the people who were enthusiastic about photography, but also the people who were interested
in the preservation of Singapore’s memory of the past. Chong Wing Hong, for example, was one of them. As a veteran columnist
with Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao, Chong compiled a book of essays to preserve his memories of Chinatown where he grew up in.
Blooms in Glimpse: Story of Kreta Ayer is a 179-page book containing 34 essays in Chinese and 22 black-and-white photographs
by Yip Cheong Fun. “He (Yip Cheong Fun) managed to crystallize my memories of Kreta Ayer in his pictures,” Chong said. Chong
also emphasized one photograph taking by Yip that consists of a silhouette of a woman heaving a cart through a torrential
downpour specially. He said that the person in the straw hat was a fitting symbol of Singapore, more apt than even the Merlion.
Chong said, “The picture represents how Singaporean once braved the storms to build up this country, and it still represents our
fighting spirit today.”
"The Chinese Government has launched three photographic exhibitions in Southern China in honour
of the creative photography of Yip Cheong-Fun. These exhibitions held during the period of September through
November,2010 drew large crowds at Dongguan City, Chang An and Dong Zhen.
I have just returned from China to Singapore after a month's stay in the GuangDong Province of South China."
"If you forget everything, just remember this . . .
Regards
R S V P
ÿ
Email :
(
Andrew Yip
6226 3886
andrewyip181@hotmail.com
Born in Hong Kong in 1903, Yip arrived in Singapore with his migrant parents when he was seven months old. His father died when he was four.
Yip’s mother then had to find work to support herself and her son. But times were bad and she found it difficult to earn a livelihood;
so she sent her six-year-old son to Dongguan, China, where relatives could take care of Yip. However, the relatives were uncaring and
Yip was neglected in the subsequent four years. Some kind-hearted neighbors at the house in Gongchai Street in Chashan,
Dongguan found the child starving and sick. They fed the boy for a while and contacted Yip’s mother in Singapore to inform her about
the child’s condition. Yip was then brought back to Singapore where he stayed with his mother at Sago Lane in Singapore's Chinatown.
Later, he studied at a private school in Chinatown.
Yip started off as a mechanic in his younger days and later joined United Engineers as a technician and engineering supervisor.
He resigned from the United Engineers in 1943 when he discovered the firm was manufacturing arms for the Japanese military.
He then started his own engineering workshops at Kreta Ayer Road and Kallang in 1942. In his later years, he worked for
Tien Wah Press as an engineering supervisor. After retiring at 70, he worked at a sundry shop with his wife, Leong Lin, in Chinatown.
Yip was passionate about photography, which started as a hobby to him when he was in his twenties. While working with the United Engineers,
he saved up enough money to buy his first camera – a Rolleiflex, so that he could take photos for his family album. From then on,
his love for photography grew. His keenness to notice change and sensitivities to the surroundings helped him to record part of the
cultural landscape in Singapore before the onset of urbanization.
During the Japanese Occupation, he volunteered for service as a leader of ARPs (Air Raid Personnel) in Chinatown. His photography was
disrupted as the Japanese confiscated his camera. But Yip took up photography again when the World War II was over.
Yip’s interest in photography began as early as 1936. But it was not until 1964, when he became a member of the Photographic Society of
Singapore, at age 50, did Yip pursue photography seriously and send his works for overseas competition. Over the years,
Yip has won more than 50 world-wide awards. The selected Awards and honors are listed below:
1971: Received Honorary Excellence Distinction conferred by Federation Internationale de l'art Photographique
(International Federation of Photographic Art) 1974: Received an Honorary Fellowship conferred by
the Photographic Society of Singapore 1980: Elected as the Honorary Outstanding Photographers of the
Century by the Photographic Society of New York, USA 1984: awarded the Cultural Medallion for his outstanding
achievements and contributions to photography.
As Vice-president of the Photographic Society of Singapore from 1966 to 1974, and as advisor to the Kreta Ayer Community Center
Camera Club since 1976,
Yip Cheong Fun played an active role in inspiring and guiding many young people in the art and techniques of photography.
On September 16, 1989 Yip collapsed on an MRT train at around midnight, after taking pictures of the Lantern Festival at the
Chinese Garden, clutching a loaded camera on his hands as usual.
Yip Cheong Fun played an active role in inspiring and guiding many young people in the art and techniques
of photography such as his favorite disciple, Low Soon Leong. On 16 September 1989, Yip collapsed on an MRT
train at around midnight, after taking pictures of the Lantern Festival at the Chinese Garden, clutching a
loaded camera on his hands as usual.
In the early 1950s, working with a mere handful of contemporaries, Yip Cheong Fun faced a lot of difficulties,
as described by Choy Weng Yang, the former curator at the National Museum of Singapore. Some of difficulties
were: an unsympathetic environment, scantiness of reference material, inadequate equipment, and a lack of
guidance and direction. Yip's solution to all these problems was experimentation in the form of trials and errors
backeb by a passionate spirit. Yip has always sought to take photographs which go beyond the surface of
superficial attractiveness. His photographs must carry a telling message forged by crucial elements such as content,
composition, light and timing. In Yip's words, "a good picture must have the right balance and composition."
Yip has many disciples and taught at both the Photographic Society and the Kreta Ayer Camera Club for decades.
The former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mr. S. Rajaretnam studied photography with him.
The former Chief Architect of the Housing and Development Board, Mr. Tony Tan was also noted to be his disciple.
Photographers like Tan Yik Yee and Mr. Low Soon Leong who taught at the SAFRA camera club were also influenced by Yip’s
works and teaching.
We shall descend like eagles, move as swift as gazelles (deers). . .
For at end of the day,
all that you see is the settling of the dust . . .
and what you hear . . . is the howling of the wind."
Chee Kong
revival3@singnet.com.sg
revival3@yahoo.com
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~revival3
revival3@singnet.com.sg
Regards
(
J
(
Wong Chee Kong
HP 963 59 268
" . . . out of his heart
will flow rivers of living water . "
( John 7 : 38 )