Edmund Cheng Wai Wing is a local arts administrator. A successful property developer with Wing Tai Holdings and Wing Tai Malaysia Berhad, the Hong Kong-born architect has helped develop the Singapore arts industry through his efforts as Chairman of several arts organisations including Sculpture Square, The Old Parliament House Limited, The Esplanade Co Ltd, and the National Arts Council.

Edmund Cheng Wai Wing was born in 1952 in Hong Kong. His father was a garment manufacturer who had relocated to Hong Kong from China with very little to his name. But he slowly built up a garment manufacturing business that would eventually become property development and lifestyle empire, Wing Tai Holdings.

In 1963, when Cheng was 11 years old, his father came to Singapore to diversify his business. He sent Cheng to Canterbury School in New Milford, Connecticut, the US, for his studies from which Cheng graduated in 1970. He then enrolled in Northwestern University Evanston in Chicago, Illinois, to study civil engineering and, graduated in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.

However, Cheng's main interest at the time was really in architecture. He first became keen in the subject as a young boy when his elder sister's suitor, an architecture undergraduate, showed him drawings and models of his various projects. In 1979, at the age of 27, Cheng moved to Singapore and then promptly enrolled in Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US. In 1980, he graduated with a Master’s Degree in Architecture, and in 1982 he became a registered architect with Singapore’s Board of Architects. He found work as an architect with established Singapore firm Architects 61.

At the same time, Cheng was tasked by his father to help his business Wing Tai enter the Asian property market. In 1981, he became Deputy Chairman and Deputy Managing Director of Wing Tai Holdings Limited, Managing Director of Wing Tai Land Pte Ltd and Executive Director of Wing Tai Malaysia Berhad, positions he still holds today.

He successfully diversified Wing Tai's portfolio from mainly garment manufacturing to involving property as well. With Cheng at the helm, Wing Tai grew into a property giant with residential and commercial developments in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China and North America. Wing Tai Holdings is now listed on the Singapore Exchange while Wing Tai Malaysia Berhad is listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange.

The ‘90s saw Cheng serving as a Board member, President or Chairman of several organisations. He was President of Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore (1991-1993), member of the Urban Redevelopment Authority (1991-1994), Director of the Construction Industry Development Board (1992-1994), Chairman of the Singapore Tourism Board (1993-2001), and Director of Singapore Airlines Limited (1996-2004).

In the late ‘90s and early 2000s, Cheng became more involved in the arts industry. He held multiple positions throughout the years including Founding Chairman of Sculpture Square Ltd (1997 – 2002), Founding Chairman of The Old Parliament House (2002 – 2007), Chairman of The Esplanade Co Ltd (2003 – 2005), Founding Chairman of the DesignSingapore Council (2003 – 2008), and Chairman of the National Arts Council (NAC) (2005 – 2013) thus contributing significantly to the development of Singapore’s arts and design industries.

With Sculpture Square, The Old Parliament House which manages The Arts House, The Esplanade Co Ltd and Design Singapore Council, Cheng helped to establish the foundations of what would become very important institutions in the arts and creative industries. When he chaired NAC, he oversaw the launch of several new initiatives under the National Plans for Traditional Arts, Literary Arts, as well as the Arts and Culture Strategic Review. This included initiatives in the areas of Community Engagement, Capability Development and Arts Education including the Singapore Biennale, Noise Singapore, the District Arts Festivals, Silver Arts, Arts @ Work, as well as the revitalisation of existing major events such as the Singapore Arts Festival and the Singapore Writers Festival.

It was during Cheng's term as NAC chairman that there was a marked increase in support for Singapore artists and arts companies. More was being done to develop and enable Singapore artists through the New Grants Framework and the Framework for Arts Spaces, together with initiatives in Capability Development. Our homegrown talents and body of work were being showcased at major international arts markets, performing arts and literary arts festivals and book fairs.

In the private sector, in the meantime, Cheng had become Director of the Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) in 2003, Chairman of Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd in 2004, and a member of the Global Council for Asia Society, position he retains today. He was also a Trustee on the Nanyang Technological University’s Board of Trustees for a time.

For his significant contributions to Singapore's cultural landscape, Cheng was awarded The Meritorious Service Medal in 2015, the Public Service Star (BAR) in 2010 and the Public Service Star (BBM) in 1999. He also received the Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award in 2002 from the then President SR Nathan. In 2009, he was conferred "Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" by the Republic of France.

Today, Cheng still chairs Mapletree. He has also recently retired as Chairman of SATS Ltd. Additionally, he continues to head Wing Tai, which is one of Singapore's leading property developer and lifestyle companies today with total assets that exceed S$3.7 billion.

For years, Cheng has helped to support local and regional artists by becoming a supportive arts patron, attending art shows regularly and buying numerous works from artists, placing many of them in his Wing Tai properties and Mapletree’s. "Art should be part of our everyday life", states Cheng.

Although he stepped down as the National Arts Council's Chairman in September 2013, Cheng's service as a Chairman of several newly-established arts and creative organisations over the years has borne much fruit. With arts institutions such as Sculpture Square, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, DesignSingapore Council and The Arts House flourishing today, Cheng has certainly helped to make art part of everyday life for many Singaporeans.