Born in 1931, Choo Keng Kwang is widely recognized for realistic renditions of landscape, animals and nature in the oil medium. Sympathetic to local working classes, Choo features them in many of his works. Graduating in 1953 from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), he worked as a teacher, eventually returning to NAFA to helm the Art Education Department in 1984. Choo has since held many solo exhibitions and has participated in group art exhibitions in Southeast Asia, Japan, Europe and USA. Since the 1950s, Choo has received many awards for his many contributions to art and education, among which is the Public Service Medal (PBM) in 1976.Pagoda Street is, even to this day, one of the busiest streets in Chinatown, especially in the evenings and during the few weeks before Chinese New Year. Painted in 1976, this artwork shows the street teeming with shoppers jostling among the many small street stalls and dilapidated houses. The same street today is however more orderly after undergoing urban development. As a result, Choo’s richly detailed depictions of Singapore street scenes are now invaluable records of days past.
