Chua Mia TeePainter of the Common Man |
| By Joseph C. Pereira | |||||
 One painting says it all. The 1974 painting titled Workers In The Canteen shows shipyard workers having their lunch and engaging in various activities. The captured pathos of these workers is palpable, lending to the universality of that picture. One can easily imagine such a scene in shipyards around the world. The portrayal of these workers depicts the commonality of existence, and Mr. Chua Mia Tee has captured that beautifully in this painting. Born in China in 1931, Mr. Chua Mia Tee was brought to Singapore by the war, in 1937. Encouraged to draw from an early age, he enrolled into the Nanyang Academy of Fine Art in 1950 and began the arduous task of learning the technicalities of drawing. The school had a tiny library comprising one bookshelf of art books, which he devoured. His favourites were Rapin and Rembrandt. It was then that he decided that art was his life calling. He says, “I was going to be a professional artist. I did not think about the rewards.” However, the realities of earning a living hit him nearer graduation, and here, fate intervened. In his third year, he was asked by the principal of NAFA, Mr. Lim Hak Tai, if he could teach the afternoon class. He agreed to do it and, after graduation, he began to teach in the Academy. For Mr. Chua, inspiration comes from taking walks in his neighbourhood in Chinatown, and drawing scenes that depict the realism of life. He found that it was when he was painting pictures of everyday scenes that he came closest to realising his muse. When asked how he chooses a particular perspective for a painting, like in the 1982 work, Late afternoon in Temple Street, he replies, “The lifestyle. When I look at a particular scene it must be representative of the experiences or lifestyle of this particular community.” He mentions that the ability to visualise in order to absorb details is a talent, and that the eye has to be very sharp. This is evident from some of his paintings, such as Vanishing Scene of Boat Quay [1982], where he has captured the crumbling buildings that dotted the riverbank area. To those who know of Boat Quay as a trendy café-lined walkway, it would come as a shock to see the stark decaying portrayal of Boat Quay as it stood in 1982. Mr. Chua indeed had the eye to capture and portray it for posterity in this painting. In 1990, the government commissioned Mr. Chua to design the $50 currency note to commemorate Singapore’s 25th anniversary. His signature was inserted into the note so that the public would know it was done by a Singapore artist. Further recognition came in 1997, when he was commissioned by Singapore Moneyworld to design and paint the HK 1,000,000 dollar handover note. From his earliest days, Mr. Chua has painted portraits of the common man, such as Road Construction Worker [1955] and Ah Goh The Boatman [1972]. Thus, it came as no surprise when he was commissioned by Business Times and DHL to paint the portrait of the Businessman of the Year. Since then, he has painted the portraits of almost all the winners of the Businessman of the Year award from 1986 to 2005. These days, Mr. Chua finds joy and happiness in painting nature. He takes particular delight in painting koi fishes. Again, he pays great attention to detail and he says that no two fish are alike. Every koi is different, and this helps improve his technique every time he paints. He says it is a continuous learning process. Every piece means something to him and adds to his cannon - from his early works as a child, to his paintings from his formative years, the portraits, and the scenes of Chinatown. As Mr. Chua says, life is important and people are important. He attempts to project that in his works and, to a great extent, he has succeeded. M T Chua’s art creations are available through Starcap Galleries Pte Ltd, located at Delfi Orchard, 402, Orchard Road, #01-05 to 06, Singapore 238876). Contact Michelle Loh, Gallery Manager Tel: 6732 7828 for a private viewing.
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The British artist talks to art-management.com.
