LEE SWEE KEONG

Contemporary Theatre Radical & Artistic Director of Nyoba Kan
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

As an artist of the spirit Keong uses elements of his body and movement to gain insight into life and the universe. With an initial background in fine arts he now studies different movement techniques and philosophies including butoh, tai chi, yoga and Zen Buddhism. Concepts like the internal spirit, energy, yin/yang and emptiness infuse his hybrid performances and teachings.

Because truth is rarely obvious, Keong focuses on the twisted and the illogical, experimenting with elements of character, performance technique and imagery to convey meaning and reveal essence.

Keong values interacting with others and finds working with different art forms exciting. As such he has built up a diverse, multi-disciplinary body of work encompassing his own productions, collaborative projects and performances with other companies.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　 photographer. wee ling.kelab shashin
Keong’s versatility as an artist has been well recognised. At the 2005 Cameronian Arts Awards Ceremony he won Best Supporting Role and Best Sound Design while also being nominated for Best Choreographer, Best Director, Best Set Designer and Best Actor.

In 2006 Keong received an Arts Network Asia grant to study Butoh for five weeks in Japan.

In addition to the Buto Kan repertory, Keong’s independent productions have included:
‘Coffin of Rejuvenation’ (Ghost Festival, Berlin), ‘Woman Born From Dragon’ and ‘Green Snake in Buto’.

His collaborative projects have included:
‘Turning, turning and turning’ (with a filmmaker and dancer in New Delhi), ‘Woman, Monkey & Kabuki Joe’ (with composers and performers in Seattle), ‘Siddhartha’ (a Chinese musical that toured South Africa and Singapore), ‘Drum Beat, Shadow Feet’ (an outdoor site-specific work with drummer, Bernard Goh), ‘Chicken Parts’ (an experimental multi-arts performance series), and ‘Re:Lady White Snake’ (with Mew Chang Tsing which toured to Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore).
　　　　　　　　　　　　　 photographer. wee ling.kelab shashin
His performances with other companies have included:
‘The Girl From Ipoh’, ‘Street of Crocodile’ (Pappa Tarahumara, Japan), ‘Man & God’ (3nity design), ‘Rashomon’ (The Actors Studio), ‘Imperial Garden’ (Dama Orchestra), ‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’ (Instant Café Theatre), ‘Four Men and a Woman’ (The Actors Studio) and ‘Family’ (Five Arts Center).