Expressing Gratitude for a Lifetime of Service

The One Academy had recently conferred the Malaysia Art Educator Lifetime Achievement Awards to two highly respected individuals who are dedicated and passionate about art education. The award is divided into two stages, namely secondary education and tertiary education. The recipients of the award were highly motivated individuals who go above and beyond their role as educators to bridge the gap between the younger generation and art. This award is conferred as a gesture of gratitude and appreciation of the tireless effort that the educators have put in to create artistic young minds time and time again.

In the secondary education category, the award was presented to Mr. Koh Ping Yap who is presently the Art Advisor at Kluang Chong Hwa High School. Having an extensive 29 years of teaching experience to date, he was the 6th graduate of the Kuala Lumpur College of Arts and obtained a Diploma in Arts and Design from there in the year 1975. Following that, he then continued pursuing his education and obtained a Degree in Fine Arts from the Inter American University in the United States. Having a solid education in the arts, he has went on to participate in numerous local and international art exhibitions. Some of which took place in countries such as Singapore, China, Taiwan, Korea, Canada, Thailand, United Kingdom and more.

His love for all things art had given him the opportunity to receive many awards and accolades for his achievements in the field. Among these is the Excellence Award in the 2nd Newcomer Chinese Ink Painting Award in 1982. In 1986, he was the recipient of the Johor Art Exhibition Chinese Ink Painting Merit Award. A year later, in 1987, he received the Johor Watercolour Art Competition Merit Award. He also received an award in the National Calligraphy Competition in 2006. Mr. Koh Ping Yap is a true testament to the saying that education never ends. The One Academy presented him with the award as a token of appreciation for all his hard work and dedication throughout the years.

The tertiary category was awarded to Mr. Leong Hoy Yoke, the current Managing Director of The One Academy Penang. He graduated from The One Academy’s School of Illustration in 1995. Having a flair for art, he was invited to lecture at the academy soon after completing his studies, and his talent was soon discovered by Hong Kong’s master comic’s illustrator and publisher Ma Wing Shing of the Storm Riders comic’s fame. He was subsequently commissioned to paint many covers and posters for the world’s top-selling comic book – Storm Riders. He then went on to China in 2001 to take on the role of the Art Director of HySky Ltd. Today, The One Academy is proud to have him educating young minds at the Penang campus.

Both these amazing individual have shared their decades of experience, wisdom and knowledge to the young generation, directly contributing to the education field and creative industry by nurturing countless successful creative students. It is our hope that these awards will help inspire and spur on other art educators all over to continue doing what they do best and produce artistic talents that will go on to take the creative world by storm.

The One Academy is committed to providing the best art education programmes and continues to nurture its students passionately through its ‘Masters Train Masters’ coaching philosophy, which has been practised for the past 27 years, by providing diploma and degree courses namely Advertising & Graphic Design, Digital Animation, Digital Media Design, Film Visual Effects, Interior Architecture & Design, Illustration, Fine Arts and Paris Fashion Design & Pattern Making. For more information on The One Academy, visit www.toa.edu.my or call +603-5637 5510 or e-mail your enquiries to [email protected].