Beyond Assets: Reimagining Art Inheritance

【Group Photo ：Event Site】

Singapore, 11 April 2026 — The Art Inheritance High Tea Private, themed “The Artist, The Guardian and The Innovator,” was successfully held at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore. Organized by the Nanyang Succession Centre of Excellence, the event brought together high-net-worth individuals, art practitioners, and heritage custodians for an afternoon of meaningful exchange on art inheritance.

As the final instalment of the Centre’s three-part “Inheritance” series—following sessions on jewellery inheritance and the grand reunion dinner—the event focused on how artistic legacies can be preserved, reinterpreted, and carried forward across generations.

The event was hosted by veteran television presenter Donna Gao, whose professional delivery set a refined tone for the programme. Melvyn Goh, Co-Founder and Director of the Nanyang Succession Centre of Excellence, delivered the opening address, marking the conclusion of the series and reaffirming the Centre’s continued commitment to advancing conversations on cultural legacy and succession.

Through keynote sharing, personal experiences, and cross-disciplinary dialogue, the session explored themes such as family art stewardship, innovation in traditional craftsmanship, and the evolving role of guardianship in preserving cultural heritage. The event provided guests with a private, professional, and intellectually engaging platform for discussion.

Event Highlights: Three Next-Generation Perspectives

• The Guardian
  A journey from accountant to steward of over 1,000 works of artistic heritage.
• The Artist
  A modern interpretation of an 800-year-old art form dating back to the Yuan dynasty, featuring works that recreate layered, torn calligraphy and paintings with striking realism.
• The Innovator
  A perspective on integrating artistic discipline and cultural cultivation into engineering, health and innovation.

[Photo:  MELVYN GOH, Founder and Director OF the NANYANG SUCCESION CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE]

At the event, three invited speakers, including one from Beijing, delivered insightful presentations, highlighting the depth, significance, and contemporary relevance of artistic heritage through personal experience and lived testimony.

The first guest, Ms. Low Sok Leng, daughter of Mr. Liu Haihong, a second-generation artist of Singapore’s Nanyang School, shared her transition from a professional accountant to a custodian of artistic heritage. As founder of Legacy Steward Advisory Services, she has systematically organized, preserved, and promoted more than 1,000 of her father’s artworks following his passing, while advancing the visibility and appreciation of local art

 

[Photo: Guest The Guardian, LOW SOK LENG sharing her testimony with tv anchor Donna Gao】

Mr. Gu Kang of China studied traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy from a young age under the guidance of his aunt, Professor Kang Shoushan, a direct disciple of the renowned modern art master Xu Beihong and a senior art educator at Tsinghua University. Her teaching and artistic lineage were grounded in a well-established and clearly documented tradition.

Raised within this distinguished artistic lineage, Gu has devoted decades to the practice of calligraphy, continuing the second generation of the Xu Beihong–Kang Shoushan legacy. Alongside his artistic pursuits, he brings a multidisciplinary background, having served as the chief designer of the sound system for the National Speed Skating Oval, the “Ice Ribbon,” the main venue of the Winter Olympics, while also engaging extensively in the health and wellness field.

At the event, he spoke on the concept of “the common origin of calligraphy and medicine,” integrating traditional artistic practice with modern engineering and holistic health philosophies. He also shared his intention to internationalise his work at the intersection of art and health, offering a compelling and multidimensional perspective on the contemporary evolution of art and calligraphy.

 

[Photo: Guest, The Innovator, Gu Kang shared on blending art and health]

Ms. Feng Jing, a third-generation inheritor of Jin Hui Dui, a recognized form of Chinese intangible cultural heritage, has devoted her practice to the excavation, preservation, and contemporary rearticulation of this rare artistic tradition.

At the salon, she elegantly traced the historical lineage of Jin Hui Dui, interweaving it with intimate accounts of her family’s multigenerational stewardship and their enduring ties with leading figures in the art world. Grounded in the discipline of traditional form and cultural essence, her work extends into contemporary expression, where design innovation and immersive handcraft experiences converge to recontextualize heritage for modern life.

In a specially curated interactive segment, guests engaged closely with the craft, gaining a heightened, tactile understanding of its quiet sophistication and relevance in today’s cultural landscape.

 

[Photo: Guest-The Artist, Feng Jing on Intangible cultural heritage]

The event also marked a new milestone for the local art scene. Dickson Wang, a serial art entrepreneur in art education, art materials, and art galleries, officially announced the launch of U+ Gallery, unveiling a new space dedicated to exhibiting both local and international artworks, as well as facilitating collection exchange and art education.

Located within Singapore’s Arts & Heritage District, Stamford Arts Centre is a multidisciplinary arts space managed by Arts House Limited, a Singapore government-owned arts facility . The centre serves as a hub for artistic development and collaboration, bringing traditional arts closer to the community.