Chua Ek Kay

Lauded as the “bridge between Asian and Western art”, Chua Ek Kay 蔡逸溪 (Singaporean, 1947-2008) was an artist who adeptly blended Chinese painting forms such as Chinese ink on paper, with Western art theories and techniques. His bold reinterpretation of ink traditions won him accolades such as the UOB Painting of the Year Award in 1991, being the first Chinese ink-painter to do so, and the Cultural Medallion in 1999. 

Chua’s early life was rich with Chinese cultural influences — he wrote Chinese poetry, read Chinese literature and practised calligraphy. In 1975, he was taught Chinese brush painting by Fan Chang Tien, Singapore’s master ink painter of the Shanghai School. As Chua trained in the Shanghai School style, he found similarities to the works of Western artists like Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock, as both were rife with artistic spontaneity. As he continued to hone his artistic practice, he realised that the discipline of Chinese art helped strengthen his lines whilst Western techniques helped him in the mixing of tones.