Chua Ek Kay

Singapore

1947 – 2008

Chua Ek Kay was a Singaporean artist well-known as a “bridge between Asian and Western art.” Working primarily with Chinese ink on paper, he combined the spirit of traditional Chinese painting with the freedom and experimentation of Western modernism. His works often capture the quiet poetry of Chinatown street scenes, the calm grace of lotus ponds, and the layered rhythms of abstract forms inspired by Australian Aboriginal cave paintings.

Born in China and raised in Singapore, Chua studied Chinese ink painting under Fang Chang Tien from 1975 to 1984, before pursuing Western art at the University of Western Sydney, where he graduated in 1995. Fang’s teachings deeply shaped his artistic philosophy, encouraging him to value sincerity and soul over technique. Other than a painter, he's also a poet, calligrapher, and seal carver, Chua embodied the ideal of the scholar-artist. His seal, inscribed “Rather awkwardness than skillfulness,” reflected his belief that true art flows from the heart.