Born in China, Chua Ek Kay (1947-2008) moved to Singapore in 1953 and was one of Singapore’s foremost contemporary Chinese ink painters. Chua studied Chinese ink painting under well-known Singapore pioneer artist Fan Chang Tien; he was also influenced by Australian aboriginal art and western artists such as Jackson Pollock, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. The main themes of Chua’s art were Singapore street scenes, lotuses and abstract works. In 1991 and 1998, Chua won the Grand Prize in the 10th UOB Painting of the Year Competition and the Philip Morris ASEAN Arts Award (Juror's Choice) in Singapore respectively. In 1999, he was honoured with the Cultural Medallion Award by the Singapore government.Primarily an ink painter, this work marks Chua's first serious foray into the medium of print-making. The Lotus Pond Series is a continuation of his interest in the motif of the lotus as a means of exploring the issue of cultural identity. In this body of works, Chua fused his familiarity with Chinese ink painting with print-making techniques to produce works that are powerful and deeply evocative.
