Artist Biography
Chua Ek Kay (1947–2008, Guangdong, China, based in Singapore) was best known for his lyrical depictions of nature and the city through merging the traditions of Chinese ink painting with the spontaneity of Expressionist styles. Using this unique synthesis to capture the fleeting and sensory impressions of his surroundings, Chua continues to be regarded as one of the country's most prominent ink practitioners.
Having honed his passion in calligraphy and poetry since childhood, Chua went on to learn techniques rooted in the Shanghai School of ink painting. Characteristic of this style is xieyi (“write ideas”), which emphasises spontaneous brushwork and exaggerated forms to capture the essence of a subject. Beyond his early training, Chua drew influence from Western modernists like Matisse, Picasso and Pollock, as well as Australian Aboriginal art, which he explored through his further studies. His renowned Lotus Pond (1996–2007) series applies his hybridised visual vocabulary onto the lotus plant, a revered symbol of purity in Chinese culture. It is rendered in states of growth and decay, sparsity and fullness, evoking a vitality and rhythm that draws viewers into a state of introspection.
Chua obtained his Advanced Diploma from LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore in 1989 and his MFA from the University of Western Sydney in 1995. His work is held in numerous collections including National Gallery Singapore; NUS Museum, Singapore; and Singapore Art Museum. For his contributions to the local art landscape, Chua was conferred the prestigious Cultural Medallion for Visual Arts in 1999.
Notable solo exhibitions include After the Rain (2017), National Gallery Singapore; Recent Paintings of Chua Ek Kay (2005), Shanghai Art Museum; Recent Works by Chua Ek Kay (1995), University of Western Sydney; and Duality and Tension (1992), National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore. The artist also participated in major international festivals including Singapore Modern Ink Painting (2006), 5th International Ink Painting Biennial, Shenzhen.
Chua had two residencies at the STPI Workshop in 2003 and 2007, resulting in the exhibitions Being and Becoming (2003) and Along the River Banks (2007) respectively. His work was also posthumously exhibited in Re-visiting Chua Ek Kay: Tribute to the Ink Master (2010) and Material Moves: Revisiting Print and Paper through Han Sai Por, Goh Beng Kwan, Ong Kim Seng and Chua Ek Kay (2025).