Artist Profile: Chua Mia Tee (1931-Present)

Singaporean Artist

Image of Chua Mia Tee. (Chua Mia Tee picture, n.d.).

History

Chua Mia Tee was born in Shantou, Guangdong province, China in 1931 but he fled along with his family to Singapore in 1937 because of the Japanese invasion of their homeland. In 1947, he attended Chung Cheng High School but withdrew halfway to pursue formal arts education in the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) (Pereira, n.d.). He taught in NAFA after his education and went on to succeed as an artist both traditionally and commercially.

Artistic Education & Influence

The National Library Board’s (NLB) Infopedia quotes that “[h]e received training in drawing, sketching with watercolour and painting, both with oils on canvas and with Chinese ink and colours on paper from NAFA director Lim Hak Tai and artists Cheong Soo Pieng, Koh Tong Leong and See Hiang To” (Omar, n.d.).  Chua is a realist painter and one of the most prominent in his field locally. His portfolio includes artowrks depicting the dying historical scenes and traditional infrastructure of the 1960s – 1980s period. One of his more well-known artworks would be National Language Class (1959).

Key Accomplishments & Exhibitions

1974

•  Became a full-time artist after success of first solo exhibition at the Rising Art Gallery

1979

•        Commissioned to make 36 sketches of Ministers and Members of Parliament during meetings. Also painted the former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on his return from London after the "Merdeka Talks"

1980

•        Art Exhibition of Mr and Mrs Chua Mia Tee, Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry

1984

•              National Day painting on "The 25^th Year of Nation Building" appeared on the front page of The Straits Times

1988

•             Participated in the 50^th Painting Exhibition of R. Basoeki Abdullah R.A.N. in Jakarta, Indonesia

1990

•           Designed Singapore's new $50 to commemorate Singapores 25^th anniversary

1997

• Designed the One Million Dollars Commemorative Note, a souvenir note to mark the handover of Hong Kong to China

For more information about Chua’s accomplishments and history, please visit this the National Library’s Infopedia site: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1010_2008-07-30.html

References

Chua Mia Tee picture [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sagg.com.sg/page/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=693

Omar, M. (n.d.). Chua Mia Tee. Retrieved from http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1010_2008-07-30.html

Pereira, J.C. (n.d.). Chua Mia Tee: Painter of the common man. Retrieved from http://www.sagg.com.sg/page/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=693