Ronald Fong Sang (11 July 1938 – 11 June 2021) was a New Zealand architect, art collector, art exhibitor and publisher of New Zealand art books.

Early life

Sang was born in Fiji in 1938 to parents who had migrated from southern China. He received his secondary education at

Marist Brothers High School, Fiji Marist Brothers High School is a Roman Catholic all-boys' high school situated in Suva, the capital of Fiji. It is a school in the Marist tradition, founded in 1946 by the order of Marist Brothers, which has had a presence in Fiji since 1844. T ...

, and, having arrived in Auckland in 1957, at St Peter's College, Grafton. He studied architecture at

Auckland University College The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loca ...

from 1958 to 1961.''New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa 2001'', p. 777. He became a registered architect in New Zealand in 1965. He joined an architectural practice which became Fairhead Sang and Carnachan Architects. In 1968, Sang set up his own practice.

Architecture

As an architect, Sang engaged in both commercial and domestic architecture. He is noted for his design of a house for the photographer

Brian Brake John Brian Brake (27 June 1927 – 4 August 1988) was a photographer from New Zealand. He is best known for his 1955 photographs of Pablo Picasso at a bullfight, his 1957 and 1959 series of China, and his 1960 ''Monsoon'' series of India. Early ...

Titirangi Titirangi is a suburb of West Auckland, New Zealand, West Auckland in the Waitākere Ranges (local board area), Waitākere Ranges local board area of the city of Auckland in northern New Zealand. It is an affluent, residential suburb located t ...

, West Auckland. The house has a Category 1 rating from Heritage New Zealand. Sang had a special interest in using New Zealand artworks in domestic and commercial interiors. He was a committee member of the Aotea Centre Works of Art Committee from 1988. He developed a New Zealand art collection including paintings, prints, sculpture, pottery, and weaving. This collection included significant New Zealand artists such as

Colin McCahon Colin John McCahon (; 1August 191927May 1987) was a New Zealand artist whose work over 45 years consisted of various styles, including landscape, figuration, abstraction, and the overlay of painted text. Along with Toss Woollaston and Rita Angus ...

and

Bill Hammond William Hammond (29 August 1947 – 30 January 2021) was a New Zealand artist who was part of the post-colonial Gothic movement at the end of the 1990s. He lived and worked in Lyttelton. The theme of his works centred around the environment and ...

. Sang published books on New Zealand artists. In 2013, Sang was co-chairman of the Auckland Chinese Garden steering committee. In the 2000 Queen's Birthday Honours, Sang was appointed an

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit () is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have r ...

, for services to architecture and the arts.

Later life and death

In March 2015, Sang auctioned off much of his personal art collection to fund his retirement, raising over $1.9 million. Sang died at his home in Auckland on 11 June 2021.

Gallery

Flickr - brewbooks - i103005 196.jpg, Sang's former residence in

Epsom Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain ...

, Auckland Flickr - brewbooks - i103005 205.jpg, A selection of Sang's personal art collection, including pieces by

Ann Robinson Ann Robinson (born May 25, 1929) is an American former actress and stunt horse rider. She had a leading role in the science-fiction classic ''The War of the Worlds (1953 film), The War of the Worlds'', and starred in the 1954 film ''Dragnet (1 ...

and

Guy Ngan Guy Ngan (; 3 February 1926 – 26 June 2017) was a New Zealand artist. He worked across a large range of media, including sculpture, painting, drawing, design and architecture, and is known for his incorporation of Māori motifs such as the ti ...

Chinese Pagoda Skyscraper Auckland.jpg, Choice Plaza, a 1989 building on Wellesley Street designed by Sang

Early life

Architecture

Later life and death

Gallery

References

Further reading