Conferment of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette to Mr Iskandar Jalil

Your Excellency Mr Haruhisa Takeuchi, Ambassador of Japan to Singapore

Mr Iskandar Jalil and family members of Mr Iskandar

Excellencies

Ladies and Gentlemen

1. Good evening. I am very happy to be here this evening to witness the Conferment of the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette to Mr Iskandar Jalil.
   

2. Singapore and Japan will mark our 50 years of bilateral relations in 2016. Our two countries have always enjoyed excellent relations, resulting in many economic co-operations and cultural exchanges. The conferment of this honour to Mr Iskandar Jalil, one of Singapore's most prominent artists, is further testament which affirms the close ties between our countries.
   

3. The Order of the Rising Sun is awarded to individuals who have made long-term contributions to promoting the relations with Japan. I understand that twelve Singaporeans have received the award since 1967, but this is the first time that it has been conferred to a Singaporean artist. Mr Iskandar is a celebrated master potter and pioneer in ceramics art. His work has achieved critical acclaim both in Singapore and around the world. I am honoured to be here to celebrate this conferment with him.
   

4. Mr Iskandar's journey to becoming a highly successful ceramist and potter began in Japan, when he was awarded a Colombo Plan Scholarship to study ceramic engineering at the Tajimi City Pottery Design and Technical Centre. Over the years, he has drawn inspiration from Singaporeans, Southeast Asians, Islamic and Japanese elements in his works, creating excellent pieces of work bearing the signature blue glaze and driftwood that are his hallmarks.
   

5. I have great admiration for Mr Iskandar's excellent works, I also have much admiration for one of the most important traditional Japanese porcelain crafts, the Kutani ware. As it is still early for dinner and I think most of us here are not that hungry, so with your indulgence, I would like to take a few minutes to talk about the Kutani ware.
   

6. Kutani ware was originated in the early Edo period, sometime around 1655. So this particular school of porcelain ware has about 360 years of history. Kutani ware consists of 3 distinctive features. The first is called “Aote” which is characterised by bold application of green glaze. The main attraction of this style is the bright colour that results from decoration of the entire surface and the drawing of bold designs on subjects such as buildings, mountains, rivers, flowers, animals, etc.
   

7. The second characteristic is called “Iroe” or “Gosaite”, which refers to the 5 different colours used in Kutani ware. These 5 colours are green, yellow, dark blue, purple and red. The main athraction of Iroe Kutani ware is the painting technique that makes it seem as if the refined decoration was taken from a folding screen or hanging scroll.
   

8. The third characteristic is called “Akae”, referring to using red glaze to apply onto the art pieces, making them look very distinctive and majestic. To use a simple description on Kutani ware, I would say this is the Lexus of the Japanese porcelain ware. There is a Kutani museum in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture. It's worth a visit if you like traditional Japanese porcelain ware.

9. From Kaga back to Singapore, now allow me to come back to Mr Iskandar. He has captured the imagination of many Singaporeans, and more importantly, set an exemplary example for future generations of potters who seek to hone their skills and craft. I understand that when he was teaching at the Temasek Polytechnic School of Design before his retirement, Mr Iskandar took his students to various places in Japan almost every year to learn from the master potters there. By mentoring and passing on his craft and knowledge to younger artists, Mr Iskandar has also offered our young artists a wealth of good counsel, instruction, and access to his networks.

10. And it is precisely because of the efforts and dedication of pioneer artists like Mr Iskandar that we now have a vibrant and growing arts scene in Singapore. The arts is a means through which we express our identity, values and beliefs, and allows us to reflect on who we are, where we come from, and where we are going. I believe Mr Iskandar's legacy will continue to inspire many more artists to build on the works of our pioneers, to create an even more vibrant arts scene for Singapore.

11. My sincere appreciation to the Japanese Government for conferring this honour to one of our most treasured artists. And to Mr Iskandar, my warmest and heartiest congratulations again to you and your family. Thank you for being an inspiration to all Singaporeans.

12. Thank you.