Iskandar Jalil (1939– ) Artist and teacher. Master potter Iskandar Jalil has played a major role in Singapore’s modern ceramics history. He studied ceramics engineering in Nagoya, the centre of pottery in Japan, under a Colombo Plan Scholarship in the 1970s, and embraced Japanese aesthetics and traditions. Combining these with Southeast Asian and Islamic influences and motifs, his works encapsulate an individual yet quintessential Asian identity. His signature ‘Iskandar Blue’, rich tactile surfaces and incorporation of twigs, are characteristics of his work. Iskandar was a 1988 recipient of the Cultural Medallion and was awarded the Pingkat Apad by the Singapore Malay Arts Society (1998) and the Berita Harian Achiever of the Year Award (2002). His work can be viewed at several venues, including Changi Airport and Tanjong Pagar MRT Station.

Photo credit: Singapore Press Holdings/ Berita Harian