Back in January of 2022 I visited my hometown of Singapore, the first time in more than 2 1/2 years since the pandemic started. One of the top items on my art itinerary was to visit Chua Mia Tee – Directing The Real exhibition at the National Gallery Of Singapore. Recipient of the cultural medallion for his contributions to the visual arts of Singapore, Chua Mia Tee has always been a painter that I look up to ever since studying his works as a young art student back in the day.

Chua Mia Tee is well known for his portraiture work of Singaporean dignitaries as well as landscape oil paintings that vividly capture the mundane life of and zeitgeist of Singapore circa 1950s-1990s. This huge hardcover volume numbering close to 300 pages is a comprehensive collection of the painter’s huge portfolio of work.

Book synopsis – The Art of Chua Mia Tee: A Portrait of a Life’s Work is an ambitious and significant publication that – for the first time in a single volume – brings together hundreds of pieces of art by Chua Mia Tee, one of Singapore’s foremost painters. Following a comprehensive search, selection and curation process, this book contains approximately 300 sketches and paintings by by Chua Mia Tee, including many that have never been seen in public or published before.

Of course, his best-known works are present, among them “National Language Class” and “Epic Poem of Malaya”. Chua’s beautiful paintings are complemented by three essays from prominent writers and art historians. Commentaries and notes on particularly notable pieces are also included throughout, whilst the artist can be heard in his own words in the book’s Afterword. By documenting the life and work of one of Singapore’s most influential artists, The Artwork of Chua Mia Tee is a highly important addition to the canon of works on Singaporean art history.

(above) This serene painting of the Singapore Botanic Gardens remind me of a picture that I took of the garden, one of my favorite places in Singapore. ( below )

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(above & below) Some of the artist’s paintings of the area around the Singapore river are especially sentimental to me as I have fond memories of my parents bringing our family on dinner trips there; the bustling sights of the tongkang towboats are no longer visible today.

An exceptionally talented artist, Chua Mia Tee’s paintings of Singapore’s landscapes are now invaluable cultural assets that help preserve the history of the country as seen through the brushstrokes of his beautiful art. Besides viewing his original paintings in person, this book is the next best thing. Recommended.

Also, if you are a Singaporean or are presenting visiting the country, the artist’s exhibition Directing The Real will be on till the 20th Of November 2022 at the National Gallery Of Singapore.

“The Art Of Chua Mia Tee – A Portrait of a Life’s Work” details :

– Dimensions – 9.11 x 1.6 x 11.64 inches
– Hardcover, 288 pages
– Full color

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