Cheah Thien Soong

Malaysia

B. 1942

Cheah Thien Soong trained at NAFA in Singapore under Nanyang pioneer artists including Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng, and Georgette Chen, before going on to receive his doctorate from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico in 2002. He made his exhibition debut at just 20 years old at the Malaya Art Exhibition Tour to India, and has since participated in over 25 group exhibitions and 21 solo exhibitions across Malaysia, China, Singapore, and South Korea. A leading figure in Malaysian art education, he founded the Seremban Institute of Art in 1985 and lectured at the Malaysia Institute of Art for over a decade.

Cheah's practice is rooted in Chinese ink painting, shaped by a deep belief in Taoist philosophy and the idea that art must be a reflection of lived experience. Natural landscapes, mountains, rivers, birds, and trees, particularly trees, have become signature motifs in his work, often accompanied by poems and Buddhist scriptures. He has received prestigious awards including 1st Prize at the 1st International Competition of Calligraphy, Painting and Seal Art Exhibition in Taiwan (1995), and continues to push the boundaries of his practice, experimenting with porcelain and Jingdezhen clay following a visit to Jiangxi in 2003.