Born in 1931 in China, Chua Mia Tee migrated to Singapore in 1937. A graduate from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1957, Chua is a highly regarded master of portrait painting. Chua has painted portraitures of prominent public figures, including presidents and prime ministers of Singapore. Besides portraitures, Chua also paints nationalistic and local scenes of Singapore, which serve as historical documentations of the nation’s changing landscape.Reminiscent of a famous work by Monet (‘The Rue Saint-Denis, Festivities on 30 June 1878’ which immortalised France’s independence as a new Third Republic), Chua depicts one of Singapore’s earlier National Day celebrations as seen in old Chinatown. The scene is bursting with a riot of colours, with red and white Singapore flags flying from every window. One can almost feel the excitement and celebratory mood of the revelers.
