Joseph Balestier (19 Mar 1788–12 Nov 1858), was a planter and merchant who was the first United States consul in Rhiau and in Singapore.
[2] Born in Saint-Pierre, Martinique,[3] Balestier first arrived in the United states in 1798 and was naturalized as a citizen in March 1809.
In Singapore, he had a large house on a 1,000 acre sugar-cane and cotton plantation, with a plant to manufacture sugar and rum.
[7] Joseph Balestier was a friend of James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, from his visit to Singapore in 1839, and wrote an article supporting him when opposition arose in America.
Art Stage Singapore and the Embassy of the United States, Singapore jointly organize the Joseph Balestier Award for the Freedom of Art to honor an artist or curator from the Southeast Asian region who is actively committed to the ideals of liberty and freedom of expression, and through his or her work, continually seeks to express these ideals.