Recipient of the NAC Overseas Bursary, Gabriel graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with First Class Honours in Lighting Design.
He was also awarded the Strand Lighting Scholarship, funding his training at the Metropolitan Opera (New York ’09 Winter Opera Season).
Gabriel was accorded "Best Lighting Design" under the academy's Technical & Entertainment Award for his design on his graduation project: Rubik's Cube & its Aftermath, directed by Tang Shu Wing. To date, he has also garnered three "Best Lighting Design" nominations under Life! Theatre Awards for his work on The Jade Bangle (2012), The LKY Musical (2016) and Shakespeare in the Park - Julius Caesar (2018)
In 2019, Gabriel was conferred the Young Artist Award by the Singapore National Arts Council for his excellence and contribution to the performing arts.
Versatility is his strength. Gabriel's lighting designs are not readily identifiable by any style as he approaches every project with a different mind.
His works speak for themselves - quality bespoke lighting designs that are never alike. As a chameleon of a designer, Gabriel is well versed in lighting for the theatre, dance, music concerts and live events.
Favourite theatre designs include Constellations, Rising Son, Shakespeare in the Park: Julius Caesar (2018), Romeo & Juliet (2016), The Tempest (2015) (Singapore Repertory Theatre), Sometime Moon, The Story of Kumarajiva (Toy Factory Productions) and Fluid (The Theatre Practice).
Dance productions: Festival Lighting Designer for M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival 2016 (T.H.E. Dance Company), Swan Lake 2015 (Singapore Dance Theatre), SIDES and Milieu, Frontier Danceland’s main seasons since 2012, featuring choreographers from New York, Brussels, Melbourne, Israel and Taiwan.
European commissions: Ballroom by Shahar Binyamini for the Festspielhaus St Pölten (Austria) as well as double bill: Dancing Mahler in the 21st Century for Opéra National du Rhin (France).
Special mention: The LKY Musical (Metropolitan Productions), Rite of Spring: A People’s Stravinski (The Arts Fission & The Philharmonic Orchestra), Body X 2.0 - The Rehearsal (independent), Eight and Stories from an Island City (The Teng Ensemble), all opening to full houses and raving reviews.
Other design ventures include Symphony of Life, the Gardens By The Bay opening festival finale, OCBC Garden Rhapsody, the inaugural 18-month run of the daily son et lumière at the Supertree Grove, Chyi Yu Concert 2014, Marina Bay Countdown 2015: Drum Gaia, SEA Games 2015 EXPO Hall 2 sporting events, Dance in the Park: A Pop-tastic Countdown to 2017 at Universal Studios Singapore, the 18th World Pencak Silat Championships 2018, Halloween Horror Nights 2018 and 2019.
Gabriel is also Lighting Designer for Singapore’s National Day Parade 2017, 2018 and 2020.
Gabriel’s work has been presented on the international stage, with lighting designs traveling to Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Mulhouse (France), Shanghai, St Pölten (Austria), Tel Aviv, Taipei and Yeosu (South Korea).