Chua Ek Kay 蔡逸溪
Old House Series: Shades of Yesteryears, 68x58cm, Chinese ink on rice paper
Old House Series: Stories of Yesteryears, 95x90cm, Chinese ink on rice paper
Abstract Series: With Rhythm and Vitality, Chinese ink on rice paper, 120x120cm
Lotus Pond Series: Autumn Lilies, 51x204cm, Chinese ink on rice paper
Lotus Pond Series: An Autumn Scene, 180x97cm, Chinese ink on rice paper
Lotus Pond Series: An Eternal Waltz, 122x96cm, Chinese ink on rice paper
Lotus Pond Series: Evergreen, Chinese ink on rice paper, 174x260cm
Chua Ek Kay was a Singaporean artist hailed as the "bridge between Asian and Western art", with a unique painting style using Chinese ink on paper that demonstrated an ingenious blend of traditional Chinese painting forms with Western art theories and techniques. Most of his works were themed on Chinatown street scenes, lotuses, and abstract works inspired by Australian Aboriginal cave paintings.
Chua’s most prominent accolades included the Grand Prize for the UOB Bank’s 10th Painting of the Year Award; the Juror’s Choice for the Philip Morris ASEAN Art Awards in 1998; and the Cultural Medallion from the National Arts Council in 1999. In September 2002, STPI invited Cultural Medallion recipient Chua Ek Kay to be the first Singaporean artist to participate in its distinguished Visiting Artists Programme. Chua exhibited widely, including the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Singapore in 1988, the Shanghai Art Museum in China in 2005, and a posthumous solo show to mark the opening of the National Gallery of Singapore in 2015.
Chua Ek Kay was born in Guangdong, China, in 1947, the eldest of seven children. In the 1950s, his family migrated to Singapore. Chinese cultural influences played an important role in his daily life, and as a child, Chua picked up Chinese literature and poetry and practiced writing Chinese characters with his father. In school, he was heavily involved in calligraphy and classical poetry activities as a student at the Catholic High School. He excelled in both areas, writing his own poems and becoming known in school for his excellent poetic calligraphy. This reputation soon spread to local calligraphy and poetic circles.
Chua was an accomplished Chinese ink artist hailed as the bridge between Asian and Western art, known for his distinctive semi-abstract depictions of lotuses, street scenes, landscapes, and figures. Trained in Chinese ink painting under the tutelage of pioneer artist Fan Chang Tien from 1975 to 1985, Chua also read Western art at the Lasalle-SIA College of the Arts in 1990, and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Tasmania as well as a Master of Arts from the University of Western Sydney.