Cover Georgette Chen in the staffroom at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in the 1970s (Image: National Gallery Singapore)
Georgette Chen in the staffroom at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in the 1970s (Image: National Gallery Singapore)
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Apart from being masters at their craft, these artists have also played major roles in developing the vibrant Singapore arts scene
Singapore may be a tiny island but we do have our fair share of talents, including accomplished artists. Over the years, many big names have emerged from our country’s pool of art practitioners. From Nanyang style pioneers Liu King and Georgette Chen to more recent names like Sarkasi Said and Amanda Heng, their unique and distinctive works have come to represent their names.
An important moment in time for Singapore’s art history, the Nanyang movement signified a period where artists sought to generate a local arts scene. Nanyang artists most often depicted subjects that were accessible to them—the local Southeast Asian lifestyle.
Here, we introduce 10 prominent Singaporean artists whose dedication to their craft has spanned decades, propelling the local art scene into the vibrant and diverse one we know today.
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1. Liu Kang
Above Outdoor Painting (In Johore), 1954, Liu Kang (Image: National Gallery Singapore)
Outdoor Painting (In Johore), 1954, Liu Kang (Image: National Gallery Singapore)
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Largely credited for the development of the Nanyang style of painting, Liu Kang was a founding member of the Singapore Arts Society. Having studied art in both Shanghai and Paris, his prowess at Western painting and Chinese ink traditions were the first seeds that saw the spread of the Nanyang movement.
The most famous of his works are his paintings while travelling in Bali in 1952. In search for inspiration and visual sources, Liu Kang’s Balinese-themed figurative paintings has become synonymous with his name for the simple strokes and vibrant colours. His role in the Singapore arts scene spanned throughout his lifetime, serving as the President of the Society of Chinese Artists for over a decade.
2. Georgette Chen
Born into a wealthy family, Chen spent her childhood years travelling between Paris, London, and New York City due to her father’s profession. It is through these experiences where she began her journey with art at various western institutions, including the Académie Colarossi in Paris.
As an artist, she returned to Asia and was invited to teach at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), contributing significantly to visual art education in Singapore. A pioneer of modern Singaporean art, her skill in oil paintings has been immortalised in her paintings of figures, tropical fruits, and the Singapore River. For her contributions to local art, she was awarded the prestigious Cultural Medallion (Singapore’s highest art accolade) in 1982.
3. Lim Tze Peng
Born in Singapore in 1921, Lim Tze Peng is revered as a living legend among local artists. Picking up his brush in his 20s, his dedication and love for art has lasted a lifetime. His practice in Chinese calligraphy led him to introduce a signature style, self-termed as ‘hutuzi’, or muddled writing.
Renowned for his works of Old Singapore scenes including Malay Kampungs, Chinatown, and the Singapore River, Lim’s paintings are collected by numerous art collectors in the region. He was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2003 and the Meritorious Service Medal in 2016 for his invaluable contributions to Singapore’s arts and cultural heritage.
4. Chua Mia Tee
Chances are, you will be familiar with Chua Mia Tee’s works. The famous portrait of his wife hangs on the walls of the National Gallery Singapore, along with his other well-known paintings. He is widely known for his depictions of the social and political conditions of Singapore through his captivating, realist oil paintings.
He pursued his formal arts education at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa) and was a founder of the Equator Art Society in 1956, an artist group that sought to capture the realities and struggles of Singapore. He returned to NAFA as an art teacher after his graduation. Chua has created several famous works, including National Language Class (1959), and was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2015 for his contributions to visual arts in Singapore.
5. Ong Kim Seng
Singapore’s prominent watercolour artist Ong Kim Seng is the first and only Singaporean to have won six awards by the prestigious American Watercolour Society. A self-taught artist, Ong focuses on inanimate objects, architectural form, foliage, and landscape. His realist paintings depict bold brushstrokes with post-impressionist colours.
His signature style is his ability to encompass light and shadow beautifully, creating a vivid painting. The Cultural Medallion 1990 awardee served as the President of the Singapore Watercolour Society from 1991 to 2001 and has been an art adviser to the National Arts Council since 1998.
6. Tang Da Wu
As artist known for drawing, painting, sculpture, installation art, and performance art, Tang Da Wu is no stranger to artists and students in Singapore. Educated at Birmingham Polytechnic and Goldsmith’s College, Tang’s talent and skill in multiple art forms is apparent through his achievements.
Encouraging artists in Singapore to create experimental art, Tang founded The Artists Village in 1988. Its members were among the first contemporary artists in Singapore. One of four artists who represented Singapore at the 2007 Venice Biennale, Tang’s works are concerned with environmental and social issues. He has also participated in numerous community and public art projects, himself becoming a well-respected and admired member of the local arts scene.
7. Iskandar Jalil
Master potter Iskandar Jalil describes his works as “crude but honest”. Educated in India and Japan, Iskandar’s works are famous for its rich surfaces, use of twigs and embellishments, Southeast Asian motifs, and one hand technique. With influences from Japanese philosophy and techniques, his works are simple yet exquisite.
His works have have featured in both local and international collections, including the National Museum of Sweden and the collection of former American President George Bush. For his significant contributions and influence in Singapore’s art scene, he was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 1988.
8. Han Sai Por
A graduate of various prestigious arts institutions including East Ham College of Art and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Han Sai Por is Singapore’s preeminent sculptor. With her love for sculpting ignited after looking at Michelangelo’s sculptures through a book, Han is best known for her stone sculptures with organic forms.
Working predominantly with granite and marble, Han is captivated by the natural erosions on the surface of stone, capturing the significance of life through lines and markings. Her sculptures celebrate nature through the intricate markings reminiscent of organic forms and can be found throughout Singapore, including Esplanade, Changi Airport, and National Museum of Singapore. As the founding President of the Sculpture Society in 2001, Han’s presence in the local art scene continues to influence and inspire the next generation of artists.
9. Sarkasi Said
As a child, Sarkasi Said would help his grandmother sell batik, learning and experimenting with different techniques in the process. His love for batik then spawned his travels across Southeast Asia, where he learnt from batik printing centres and developed his own distinct style. His work, View of Life, is displayed in Serangoon MRT station and depicts lalangs (a type of grass) that grows in the Serangoon area.
Sarkasi’s works have since been exhibited in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Japan, and America in both public and private collections. Sarkasi has also held various art workshops to promote the technique of batik and volunteered as an art teacher at a drug rehabilitation centre. For his contributions to visual art in Singapore, Sarkasi was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2020.
10. Amanda Heng
Multidisciplinary contemporary artist Amanda Heng has played a key role in establishing Tang Da Wu’s The Artist Village. After pursuing further studies at the Central St Martins School of Art and Design, she returned to Singapore as a lecturer at Nanyang Technological University and the National Institute of Education.
Her works predominantly explores themes of national identity, collective memory, and social relationships. She is noted for introducing feminist discourse to local art and formed the collective, Women in the Arts (WITA) in 1999. For her contributions to Visual Arts in Singapore, she was presented with the Cultural Medallion in 2010.
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