The first student from Asia to graduate from the Glasgow School of Art's drawing and painting department will show a solo exhibition at the school.

Hock Aun Teh, who studied there from 1970-1974, will display his Expanding Traditions collection, which features new and existing work dating back to the 1970s, runs in the Reid Gallery from 1 – 29 October 2022. 

The artist was born in Malaysia to Chinese parents, grew up in a remote jungle village of Sungei Gedong, in Perak State, Malaysia, and did not even know where Glasgow was, initially thinking it was in Russia, until he applied for a visa to go there.

His original art training in Malaysia focused on English watercolours and the traditional Chinese ink painting of birds, bamboo, flowers, and landscapes with waterfalls, and he now considers his work to contain four different cultural elements: tropical, Chinese, Western and his own unique personal approach.

The Herald: Hock Aun TehHock Aun Teh (Image: Colin Mearns)

As Teh returns to his alma mater he said: "I would like to dedicate this exhibition to my former school, which nurtured me as a student, as I wish my work to be a new inspiration to all students."

His works are featured in many collections all over the world, including The Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), The Bulgarian National Art Gallery for Foreign Art, and The National Art Gallery of Malaysia. He also holds a Black Belt 6th Dan in Taekwon-Do and is the Grandmaster and Founder of the martial art of Tukido.

Hock Aun Teh now lives and works in Glasgow, but makes regular trips back to South East Asia.