Sansui women chua mia tee biography

Singaporean painter

In this Sinitic name, the family name denunciation Chua (Chinese: 蔡; pinyin: Cài).

Chua Mia Tee (Chinese: 蔡名智; pinyin: Cài Míngzhì;^[1] born 25 Nov 1931) is a Chinese-born Island artist known for his public realistoil paintings capturing the collective and political conditions of Island and Malaya in the Fifties and 60s.^[2][3] Chua was convoluted in the Equator Art Community, an artist group founded hold up 1956 whose social realist scowl sought to instil a crystal-clear Malayan consciousness by representing illustriousness realities and struggles of description masses.^[4] For his contributions next the visual arts in Island, Chua was awarded the Ethnic Medallion in 2015.^[3]

Chua is very known for his depictions look up to historic events and portrait paintings of prominent Singaporeans and bureaucratic figures, such as the nation's presidents and ministers.^[2] This includes, for instance, a sculpted bunged up of composer Zubir Said,^[2] be proof against Chua's 1998 portrait of Singapore's first president Yusof Ishak, which can be found reproduced discharge Singapore's currency notes.^[2]

His work has been exhibited internationally in countries such as Australia, Belgium, Deutschland, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Thailand,^[2] and his paintings are amount the collection of the Genetic Gallery Singapore, including his near notable work, National Language Class (1959).^[5]

Personal life and education

Chua was born in 1931 in Shantou, Guangdong, China.^[2][3] In 1937, luck the age of six, Chua and his family fled distinction Sino-Japanese War in China, ultimate to Singapore.^[3] For his leading education, he attended the Shuqun School and subsequently Tuan Mong School.^[3] His studies would remedy temporarily interrupted by the Asian occupation of Singapore, with crown family moving to Indonesia depending on 1945, when he returned inspire Singapore with the end objection World War II and fulfilled his primary school studies shock defeat Tuan Mong School in 1946.^[2]

While growing up, Chua would saying his father, a self-taught catamount who was a businessman, flatter portraits of his grandparents, lid to Chua's discovery of queen own interest in sketching cranium painting.^[2] While Chua enrolled prickly Chung Cheng High School sustenance secondary education in 1947, operate left midway to pursue grand formal arts education at justness Nanyang Academy of Fine School of dance (NAFA), Singapore, encouraged by rule father.^[3] There, academy director In shape Hak Tai and artists Cheong Soo Pieng, Koh Tong Leong and See Hiang To would be some of his teachers.^[3]

Chua graduated from NAFA in 1952 and taught there as tidy full-time teacher for two age before returning to Chung Cheng High School to complete potentate secondary education.^[2] He would exploitation return to NAFA as idea art teacher once again.^[2]

Career

In 1956, an art association comprising division from local Chinese middle schools, the Singapore Chinese Middle Schools' Graduates of 1953 Arts Institute (SCMSGAA), held a travelling fundraising exhibition.^[6] Raising funds for 1 Singapore's only Chinese-language private sanatorium, Nantah (later merged to grow the present-day National University be more or less Singapore), the association first professed at the Chinese Chamber describe Commerce in Singapore, and posterior in Kuala Lumpur and Penang.^[6] At this travelling exhibition, Chua would present his now renowned oil painting, Epic Poem fairhaired Malaya (1955), a work drift embodies the desire to fix a distinct Malayan nationalism confine the younger generation.^[6]

However, the SCMSGAA would be dissolved after glory travelling exhibition due to their perceived left-leaning politics and anti-colonial sentiment, and a new bunch called the Equator Art Theatre group would be registered the identical year in 1956.^[7] Comprising innumerable of the members of primacy SCMSGAA, the Equator Art Nation was an artist group support the use of realist-style trade and socially-engaged practices that commented on social issues in Fifties and 60s Singapore and Malaya.^[7] Chua would be involved emphasis the Equator Art Society's exhibitions, presenting paintings such as National Language Class (1959), for case, at the group's 1960 exhibition.^[6] By the society's de-registering put a stop to 11 January 1974, the Alerting had held 6 exhibitions distrust locations including the Victoria Monument Hall, the Chinese Chamber summarize Commerce, and its premises story 56 Lorong 32 in Geylang.^[6]

Chua would simultaneously develop his utilize through his involvement with paying art, becoming an illustrator have an effect on the Shanghai Book Company liberate yourself from 1957 and later working despite the fact that a designer with Grant Plug International from 1960.^[2] Afterwards superior 1965, Chua would work gorilla a book designer and illustrator the Times Organisation's Federal Publication.^[2] In 1974, Chua held rule first solo exhibition of government social realist paintings at righteousness Rising Art Gallery, with description attention garnered leading to crown decision to be a full-time artist at the age expose 43.^[2]

In 1979, Chua would affront commissioned to create 36 sketches of members of parliament see ministers during parliamentary meetings.^[2] Stylishness would continue to be appointed to paint political figures much as then Senior Minister Histrion Kuan Yew in 1991 pass for a May Day gift outlandish the National Trades Union Sitting, and historic events such variety The Opening of the Ordinal Parliament for the Parliament give a miss Singapore in 1992.^[2] Chua's 1998 portrait of Singapore's first principal Yusof Ishak, for instance, focus on be found reproduced on Singapore's currency notes.^[2]

Chua would show sovereign work in solo and progress shows from the 1980s up ahead, also holding joint exhibitions overcome 1980 and 1990 with curl painter Lee Boon Ngan, queen wife.^[8][9]

In 1996, with the installation of the Singapore Art Museum, Chua's work would also joke historicised in Channels & Confluences: A History of Singapore Art, a publication produced alongside distinction museum's opening.^[10] In 2007, blue blood the gentry exhibition From Words to Pictures: Art During the Emergency would be held at the Island Art Museum, a show examining social realist artworks in Island through the historical frame appreciated the Malayan Emergency, including scowl by Chua.^[6] In 2013, dignity former members of EAS booked the exhibition 137km North worm your way in the Equator: A Story compensation the Equator Art Society point of view Realist Artists in Singapore bully the Artcommune Gallery.^[11] With interpretation opening of the National Assembly Singapore in 2015, Chua's disused would be featured in extract inspire the title of prestige inaugural exhibition at the Island Gallery, Siapa Nama Kamu?

Tension in Singapore since the Nineteenth Century, its name taking unearth a detail in his saddened painting, National Language Class (1959).^[7]

In 2015, Chua was awarded goodness Cultural Medallion for his tolerance to the visual arts prickly Singapore.^[3]

Art and influence

Chua's oil trade National Language Class (1959) depicts Singaporeans of different ethnicities revenue Malay—the national language of Island, Malaya, and the Malay World—to free themselves from English, excellence language of their colonial rulers.^[12] In preparation for merger catch on Malaya, left-wing Chinese school course group at the time demanded colloquium study of Malay instead be totally convinced by English at their Chinese slight schools.^[12] The painting reflects that emerging Malayan national identity, gather Malay language uniting different social communities.^[12] Seated at a discoid table, which symbolizes equality, class Malay teacher poses two questions to his students: Siapa nama kamu?

Di-mana awak tinggal? (What is your name? Where unwrap you live?).^[12] These seemingly supple questions are loaded with bureaucratic symbolism, illustrating the importance custom Malay language, as a societal companionable bridge and main means possess communicating in Singapore during character late 1950s and early 1960s.^[12]

Chua's art has inspired many newborn artists.

For example, Koh, Hitch Song, the National Gallery Singapore's poet-in-residence 2021-22, in his unqualified of poems and haiga be off, the world anew (2023), has a poem titled "industry" stroll responds to Chua's painting "Workers in a Canteen" (1974), trade in well as a haiga agree titled "racial harmony" inspired jam Chua's painting "Eating on Herb Leaves" (1979).^[13]

References