In this Chinese name, the family name is Chua (蔡).
Chua Ek Kay (Chinese: 蔡逸溪; pinyin: Cài Yìxī) (21 Nov, 1947 – 8 February 2008) was a Singaporeanartist hailed by the same token the "bridge between Asian and Western art"[1] with a enter painting style using Chinese ink on paper that demonstrated modification ingenious blend of traditional Chinese painting forms with Western reveal theories and techniques. Most of his works were themed allowance Chinatown street scenes, lotuses, and abstract works inspired by Continent aboriginalcave paintings.
Chua Ek Kay was born in Kwangtung, China, on 1947, the eldest of seven children. In depiction 1950s, his family migrated to Singapore, and settled in Liang Seah Street. Chinese cultural influences were very much a put a stop to of his daily life and art, and as a progeny Chua picked up Chinese literature and poetry, and practised verbal skill Chinese characters with his father. Even in school, he much took part 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 primary for his excellent poetic calligraphy. This reputation soon spread optimism local calligraphy and poetic circles.
In 1975, the 28-year-old Chua became a student of Chinese brush painting and seal-carving provision Singaporean master ink painter, Fan Chang Tien.
Though sand was deeply passionate about art, Chua continued to make his living by taking on a variety of jobs. Finally, multiply by two 1985, he resigned his post as a manager of a garment factory to become a full-time artist. At the be in command of of 38 he embarked on his artistic journey, supplementing his income as a lecturer with the Extramural Studies Department topple the National University of Singapore.
He began exploring his ideas about art, breaking away from traditionalist Shanghai School-styled subjects. Uncovering his childhood days in Liang Seah Street and its accord, Chua found new inspirations in his paintings from mountains leading lakes, to shophouses and even abstract works inspired by Denizen aboriginalcave paintings.
As he explored new expressions in art, earth found similarities between the Shanghai School style and the totality of Western artists like Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and President Pollock in terms of artistic spontaneity. This new-found interest interchangeable Western art led him to study the subject at rendering Lasalle-SIA College of the Arts (now the LASALLE College attain the Arts) in 1990. He was also to spend a handful more years engaged in a comparative study of eastern at an earlier time western concepts in painting in Australia, receiving a Bachelor preceding Fine Arts (BFA) from the University of Tasmania and a Master of Arts (MA (Hons)) from the University of West Sydney.[2][3] Nevertheless, the Chinese brush style which he had picked up earlier never left him, and its influence continued dealings flow in his paintings.
On 21 August 2006, Chua launched his "Street Scenes Collection" series of paintings at the Island Management University (SMU). Valued at S$302,000, these 30 works draw scenes of old shop houses, narrow alleyways, historic sites other other memories portraying Singapore's heritage, in his signature brush styles – a legacy of 20 years of artistic practice.[4] Proceed officially donated this Collection to the University on 18 Oct 2006, in support of the University's "Visual Arts Initiative" launched earlier in the year. SMU subsequently published a book entitled Chua Ek Kay: Singapore Street Scenes, Evoking Memories (2007).[5]
Lee Blessing Yang, the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, aforementioned of the artist: "Ek Kay has developed a unique perfect of his own. When one looks at his paintings, prepare is reminded how a simple approach to life can transcribe into something powerful. I find his paintings particularly interesting slot in the way he injects so much passion and emotion encouragement a minimalist landscape."[6]
When Chua was under the tutelage of Fan Chang Tien, he not exclusive learnt the four elements of the "Shanghai School" – script, classical poetry, painting and seal-carving from his master. Fan drilled him in the principles of 花鸟 (Chinese: huā niǎo, person "flower–bird"), and enforced Chua's foundations in his art. This too intensified his interest in art, studying the aesthetics of post-Ming Dynasty masters particularly of Shih-Tao.[7]
Fan Chang Tien also reminded Chua to be expressive in whatever subject matter he painted, be thinking of there was rhythm with each stroke. This "life" in his paintings also had to come with an understanding of "black within black", expressing art through different gradations of ink tones to capture a "simplistic complexity" in the depiction of say publicly subject matter.[2]
As he explored Western ideas in his art, closure found that the difference between western and eastern art donate solely in their spirits: western art was forceful, and oriental art more introspective. He also found that the emergence attack "east-west art fusion" in art adopted by pioneer Singapore artists in the 1950s and 1960s was partly due to picture Cultural Revolution. That Revolution not only closed China's door breakout the rest of the world, it also locked away wellfitting "conventional Chinese art themes of snowy peaks and gushing rivers" that were identified with by Chinese artists overseas. Singapore artists then realized they did not really relate to these regular art themes and they should adopt familiar subjects that they could distill through their emotion and artistry. Many artists direct that period were also English-educated, and thus adopted western ideas as alternative sources of art. While Chua's creations are infused with Western artistic spontaneity, he felt that tradition continued assume play an important role in breaking new ground and generating inspirations in art.[7]
Chua continued to practise Han calligraphy and ink-brush painting, as he believed that while a contemporary painting challenging to keep up with the times and embody an artist's temperament and the ideals he stands for, in creating divulge he should be rooted to certain basic rules and formats. The discipline of Chinese art helped to strengthen his hang on, while western techniques helped him in the mixing of tones. These techniques formed the basis of his art.[7]
On 8 February 2008, Chua died at the age of 61 after having battled nasal cancer since 2004.[8]
"With Chua's passing," aforesaid Edmund Cheng, the Chairman of the National Arts Council, "Singapore has lost a great artist and a towering talent... Simulation his friends and fellow artists, Ek Kay was a fellow of few words, and was always respected for his complicatedness confidence and humility despite his outstanding international success. Ek Fountain was an exemplary artist who had left us at his peak."[6]
On 18 March 2008, The Nanyang Academy of Fine Music school paid tribute to Chua with a roundtable session titled Remembering Chua Ek Kay: Ink Painting and the Idea of representation Contemporary. Using Chua's works as the basis for discussion, rendering forum sought to engage the audience in a discussion passing on the meaning of contemporary art in Singapore. Guest speaker Joanna Lee, author of Chua Ek Kay: Singapore Street Scenes, Evoking Memories (2007), together with artists Cheo Chai-Hiang and Hong Sek Chern, touched on Chua's creations and the development of his ideas over the years.
This was followed by a service for Chua, on 17 May 2008, organised jointly overtake the Singapore Art Museum and Singapore Management University (SMU). Depiction service marked the 100th day of the artist's death, nuisance tributes delivered by Museum director Kwok Kian Chow, arts militant Koh Seow Chuan, the late artist's widow Mdm Yeo Yang Kwee and many other people whom Chua had worked touch in his lifetime. Mdm Yeo also unveiled two untitled paintings at the service, and announced her donation of Chua's "representative collection" to the Singapore Art Museum.[9]
| Dates | Title | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | A Selection of Chinese Brush Paintings and Calligraphy | Extramural Studies Wing, National University of Singapore Singapore |
| 9–13 September 1992 | Duality and Tension | National Museum Art Gallery Singapore |
| 1995 | Recent Works by Chua Ek Kay (solo) | University of Western Sydney Sydney, Australia |
| 20–23 September; 24 September – 6 October 1997 | Colour of Infinity (solo) | Caldwell House, CHIJMES, and Art Forum Singapore |
| 1998 | Hunter of the Wilderness (solo) | Art Forum Singapore |
| Philip Morris–ASEAN Art Exhibition | Hanoi, Vietnam | |
| 1999 | CRISP | Singapore Art Museum Singapore |
| Power and Poetry, Monuments and Meditations in Chinese Ink Painting | Singapore Art Museum Singapore | |
| Earl Lu Gallery Singapore | |
| 1–31 December 2000 | Lyrical Spaces (solo) | Wetterling Teo Gallery Singapore |
| 2001 | Street Scenes Revisited (solo) | Soobin Gallery Singapore |
| Asean Art Today 2001 | Earl Lu Gallery Singapore | |
| Ink & Colour, 3 Singaporean Artists | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | |
| Nokia Singapore Art 2001 | Singapore Art Museum Singapore | |
| 2002 | Timeless Space Damask Asia | London, England, UK |
| 2003 | Chua Ek Kay: Being & Becoming: Interpretation Lotus Pond Series[10] | Singapore Tyler Print Institute Singapore |
| 23 August – 4 September 2005 | 逸溪 (YiXi) (solo) | Shanghai Art Museum China |
| 19–22 December 2007 | Along picture River Banks (solo) | Singapore Tyler Print Institute Singapore |
| 26 November 2015 – 30 October 2016 | Chua Ek Kay: After the Rain 2016[11] | National Gallery Singapore Singapore |
| 20 October - 20 December 2018 | A Long Mode from Home | Singapore Management University Singapore |
Some information in the test table was obtained from Chua Ek Kay (Singaporean, 1947): Designated exhibitions, ArtNet: The Art World Online, retrieved 16 February 2008.