(b. Perak, 1934)
Dr. Choong Kam Kow is a senior artist of international fame and a well-known academician in the field of art and design. The methods of his art making are unconventional and innovative. Over the years, he has engaged in combining two or more techniques, media and working processes to create works of his own style with unusual effects and specific manifestation such as his sculptures. He believes that contemporary art works should not only possess the senses of contemporary spirit but also must reflect the meanings and essence of culture and traditional values.
In 1961, Dr. Choong Kam Kow obtained his BA in Fine Art from the National Taiwan Normal University and master’s in fine arts from Pratt Institute, New York, the US in 1968 under the Fulbright Grant. In 1980, he received another Fulbright-ACLS Fellowship to pursue his research in American contemporary art.
In 2001, he received The Most Outstanding Alumni Award from his alma mater, the National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan. In 2006, he was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Arts by the Robert Gordon University, Scotland for his achievements in fine arts and contribution in art and design education. In 2017, he received “The Lifetime Achievement Award” from The Chinese Cultural and Art Consultative Council, Malaysia. In 2018, he was again awarded “The Outstanding Global Alumni Award” by the Ministry of Education, Taiwan.