Chua Mia Tee, Chinatown Scene, 1982

Acrylic and charcoal on paper
33 x 48 cm, 53 x 69 cm (framed)
Condition: Very good, mild foxing spots observed on the lower left and right corners
Proof of Purchase available

-

Chua Mia Tee (Singaporean, b. 1931) is one of Singapore’s most distinguished realist painters, celebrated for his masterful draftsmanship and incisive portrayals of everyday life. Trained at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts under pioneer artists such as Lim Hak Tai and Cheong Soo Pieng, Chua developed a precise, observational style rooted in realism. Chua was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2015, Singapore’s highest national honour for contributions to art and culture.

While best known for his formal oil portraits of national leaders and sweeping depictions of Singapore’s urban and social transformation, Chua produced incredible work on paper—ink drawings, sketches, and watercolours that offer a more intimate and immediate view of his artistic vision. These works often depict street life, heritage architecture, and rural scenes with remarkable clarity and tenderness.

His paperworks serve both as preparatory studies for larger compositions and as standalone expressions of his deep affection for the world around him. They demonstrate his technical control, sharp eye for composition, and enduring interest in capturing the textures of daily life—markets, riverside trades, old Chinatown—before their disappearance.

-

His wife, Lee Boon Ngan (Singaporean, 1939 -2017), was also a respected artist and a frequent subject in his works. Formerly his student, they shared a lifelong dedication to art-making and were often seen sketching side by side. Their mutual influence helped shape a distinctive artistic milieu rooted in realism, memory, and place. 

In this particular work, it is believed that the centre-left figure in the dress, with her back to the viewer, is Lee.

Acquired from Cape of Good Hope, Singapore.

(Photographed in July 2025)