Allies | Singapore

Valerie Cheah

Valerie is a practicing lawyer, qualified in the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Singapore.

She is actively involved in the arts, having founded JADA ART GALLERY in Singapore in 2011 which primarily hosts exhibitions for charity and fundraising purposes whilst supporting young and emerging artists across Southeast Asia.

She serves as an art advisor to the Silvana S Foundation and was one of the jurors for the Silvana S Foundation International Commission Awards in 2021/2022.

Valerie has contributed significantly as a valued member of the Steering Committee for the National Gallery Singapore’s flagship bi-annual fundraising event: the Gallery Benefit, serving since 2016 to 2023. Since 2016, she has been recognised as a Benefactor under the National Gallery’s Patrons Programme. For her support extending across the visual (National Gallery Singapore, Singapore Art Museum) and performing arts (Wild Rice, Pangdemonium, Jazz Association Singapore), Valerie has been recognised annually as a Patron of the Arts by the National Arts Council, Singapore.

Valerie is an avid musician (piano, wind & brass instruments) and loves pop, soul & jazz fusion music.

Michael Rowe

Ex-Sydney sider, Michael, moved to Singapore in 2021 with his husband, Bernard Ryan, after retiring from a legal career. Collectors and donors for many years in Australia, they brought a house full of Australian art and stories with them only to find themselves intoxicated by the Singaporean and Southeast Asian art scene.

They have in fairly quick order started replacing everything they’d brought with them with local pieces. In the course of that they have been lucky to access many artists, gallerists and other art lovers. Through the arts scene they say they have discovered the generous, exciting beating heart of the island state.

They are proud donors with a number of local institutions and charities, most prominent of which includes the team and fellow donors of the National Gallery of Singapore, who have become some of the greatest lifelong friends.

They are thrilled to be starting a long association with the Affordable Art Fair here in Singapore.

Beh Jit Han, Paul

Mr Paul Beh sits on the global board of Ramsay Fairs, the owner and organiser of the worldwide series of Affordable Art Fairs. He is also a Senior Advisor (immediate past Chairman) of Reed Exhibitions Asia Pacific, having served as its Regional President for over 20 years. Before joining Reed, Mr Beh was Managing Director and Partner of a regional publishing company. Prior to this, he spent several years with Singapore Airlines holding various marketing management positions.

He currently serves as a director of Singapore Management University Oversea Pte Ltd, Banyan Group Holdings Limited, Mount Alvernia Hospital and chairs the School Management Council of the Canossian Schools in Singapore. Previous boards include MediaCorp, National Library Board, Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board, COMPASS, Ministry of Education and chaired a charity board, Montfort Care.

Mr Beh is an Economics (Hons) graduate and holds Graduate Diplomas in Financial and Marketing Management. He completed Executive Management programmes at Harvard and Oxford. For his contributions to National Service in Singapore, Mr Beh was conferred the SAF NSMan of the year award. He was also awarded National Day service medals and was appointed as a Justice of the Peace.

Fong Hoo Cheong

Fong Hoo Cheong, MSIA, is a Board of Architects-registered architect and founder of HCF and Associates (HCFA), a boutique architectural firm established in 2003. His award-winning designs have earned recognition, including the prestigious President’s Design Award for Design of the Year in 2015.

A cum laude graduate of the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1990, with further studies in Illumination Design at the University of Sydney, he is known for his craftsmanship and innovation in architecture, specialising in large-scale, complex projects and specialised engineering facilities.

Hoo Cheong served on the Preservation of Sites and Monuments Advisory Board (2016–2021) and was Executive Director of the Singapore Institute of Architects (2016–2022). With 23 years of experience in foundational design teaching, he also led the B Arch (Hons) curriculum from 2012 to 2014. From 2015 to 2016 he was the editor of The Singapore Architect creating a series of folios that anchors the fundamentals of design discourse.

Active in the arts, Hoo Cheong has created on-site installations for design festivals such as The Archifest Pavilion and The InDesign Installation, participated in artist conversations at FOST Gallery, and had been a supporter of the work of Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI) from the beginning.