Singapore's art icons

Cheong Soo Pieng (b.1917, Amoy, China - d. 1st July 1983, Singapore), was one of Singapore's pioneer modern artists, and a key proponent of the Nanyang style of art. He is known for his paintings of Malay women depicted with elongated limbs. Having taught for many years at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, he has influenced many of his students as well.

Whilst known as a dynamic teacher, Cheong Soo Pieng's first commitment has always been to art-making. His innovative spirit has been recognised as a major influence on Singapore modern art. In a short span of time his works had progressed through several phases: From post-Impressionist to Cubist to abstract, semi-abstract and more. They showcase his versatility as an artist. He was especially fond of early Egyptian and primitive art forms, and liked to paint squirrels.

Cheong Soo Pieng was often said to be a man of few words, who valued his privacy, led a simple lifestyle and let his artworks speak for themselves.

He formulated his distinctive style of painting Malay women after a 1959 trip to the Dayak longhouses of Borneo. Besides painting both in the Eastern and Western techniques of Chinese ink and oils, Cheong Soo Pieng also sculpted and crafted metal installations. But it is his Nanyang-style paintings in particular that have received much attention. The techniques used are recognised as a creative blend of West and East, and the subject matter was inspired from his Southeast Asian surroundings hence the term Nanyang or South-Seas style. He was one of the first artists to paint in this theme

Lim Tze Peng.

Lim Tze Peng (b. 28 September 1923, Singapore -), artist, winner of the Cultural Medallion in 2003, first established his art practice in the early 1950s with a series of oil paintings on Chinese junks. He is best known for the significant number of Chinese ink drawings and paintings of Chinatown and the Singapore River he produced during the early 1980s when urban redevelopment focused on these two areas. Having a solid foundation in Chinese philosophy, art and culture, Lim also practised Chinese calligraphy, especially in the 1990s.  

Lim participated actively in artist field trips around the Southeast Asian region in the 1960s. From the 1970s onwards, he has participated in several exhibitions - solo and group. His first solo exhibition was in 1970. Since then, he has exhibited his works widely in Singapore and abroad. He held three solo exhibitions in the 1990s and  has participated in more than 20 group exhibitions to date. In the last four years, significant donations of his works have entered the Singapore Art Museum and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts through the artist and his collectors. For his contributions to art, Lim has received several awards including the Cultural Medallion in 2003.

Liu Kang (b. 1 April 1911, Yongchun County, Fujian Province, China - d. 1 June 2004, Singapore), also known as Liu Kai, was an oil painter, a member of a group of pioneer local artists, and a key player in establishing a local style in the visual arts. As a renowned artist, Liu Kang not only produced a wide portfolio of works but also, through his various positions in art schools, influenced the next generation of artists and painters in Singapore.