Born in Fujian Province, Liu Kang (1911-2004) received his formal training in Shanghai Academy of Fine Art, where he was exposed to Chinese paintings. In 1928, he went to Paris where he was influenced by art movements such as Fauvism and Post-Impressionism. Not only was he one of Singapore’s pioneer artists, he was also a leading figure in the Society of Chinese Artists and the Singapore Art Society. In 1970, he was awarded the Public Service Star for his contributions in the field of art.For Liu, the first step in the execution of a painting was drawing, as a way to explore possible pictorial composition. This sketch depicts the famous Malaccan landmark, the Christ Church of Malacca, and is possibly a preparatory sketch for ‘Red Building’, an oil painting completed in 1952, which is in the SAM collection.
