Lawrence Koh Explores Art Across Continents from Singapore to Suzhou

Unique Wisdom
May 22, 2025
3 min read

Updated: Sep 9, 2025

Living in Suzhou, China, Lawrence Koh carved a path by staying true to his values while embracing a vastly different culture. His openness and authenticity allowed him to thrive in both personal and professional spaces. Lawrence’s story shows that when we honor who we are, even foreign lands can feel like home.

I am currently teaching animation, visual arts, and design at Mountain Kingston Bilingual School in Suzhou, China. My passions are creating artworks, running, cycling, and swimming.

My wife and I came to China in 2018 as we wanted our kids to try studying at an international school, and we wanted to try working in a foreign country for broader perspective and exposure for our family.

Living in China has shaped me to appreciate friends around me more, as people are often moving around for jobs. The friends I’ve met in China are very sincere, truthful, helpful, and fun. We live to the fullest for each moment, embracing our differences as foreigners and Chinese.

I stay connected to Singapore through The Straits Times, CNA news on YouTube, and social media.

I’ve met a few Singaporean friends in Suzhou, but I’m not active in the Singaporean communities here as they are far from our house.

Exploring Life with Purpose, Pausing for Joy, and Celebrating with Loved Ones

Photo Credit: Lawrence Koh

Honestly, I like to explore life outside Singapore with my family. When my former school in Singapore was closing down my department, I decided to move out of Singapore to explore.

My wife, my two kids, and my friends keep me going. I enjoy creating new artworks and training for marathons and triathlon races with different teams.

Yes, I’ve learned that we can only do our best, surrender, and let God do the rest. During the process, I always have a goal to look forward to and get to communicate heart-to-heart with family and friends.

After reaching a rainbow, I will seek a new rainbow, as rainbows don’t last forever. But I will take time to pause and enjoy the beautiful rainbow with my family and friends. I normally celebrate by buying my friends coffee, tea, or beer, or treating them to a meal. With my family, I celebrate by having a holiday trip or staycation.

Photo Credit: Lawrence Koh

Moving Forward with Faith, Friendship, and the Courage to Keep Going

Visionary Thinking:

For the future of our kids. Sometimes, I feel fearful about my future in a foreign land due to job insecurity.

Courage:

When I decided to resign from my higher-paid job as a lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic to teach in China. My faith keeps me going.

Resilience:

I was retrenched once in China. I realized that nothing is constant—we need to embrace changes, overcome fear, and keep going with faith.

Curiosity:

At the end of the tunnel, there is always light. When there is light, you may see your rainbow. Just keep going.

Optimism:

My family, friends, and faith motivate me. Often, I meet kind souls along the way who open doors or windows for me.

Adaptability:

I pray to my God, read the Bible, and share my challenges with my friends. We can go fast running alone, but we can go further running in a group—in actual running and in life.

Collective Strength:

My friends, family, and God are my mentors. Their strength humbles me and teaches me to appreciate every moment in life.

Taking One Step at a Time with Gratitude, Trust, and Hope