Chua Mia Tee
Chua Mia Tee | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 November 1931 Shantou, China |
| Nationality | Singaporean |
| Spouse | Lee Boon Ngan |
| Children | 1 son, 1 daughter |
| Relatives | Lee Boon Yang (brother-in-law) Lee Boon Wang (brother-in-law) |
| Residence | Singapore |
| Alma mater | Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts |
| Occupation | Painter |
| Chinese name | |
| Chinese | 蔡名智 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Cài Míngzhì |
| Hokkien POJ | Chhòa Miâtì |
Chua Mia Tee (Chinese: 蔡名智; pinyin: Cài Míngzhì; born 25 November 1931) is a Chinese-born Singaporean artist known for his social realist oil paintings capturing the social and political conditions of Singapore and Malaya in the 1950s and 60s. Chua was involved in the Equator Art Society, an artist group founded in 1956 whose social realist works sought to instil a distinct Malayan consciousness by representing the realities and struggles of the masses. For his contributions to the visual arts in Singapore, Chua was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2015.
Chua is also known for his depictions of historic events and portrait paintings of prominent Singaporeans and political figures, such as the nation's presidents and ministers. This includes, for instance, a sculpted bust of composer Zubir Said, and Chua's 1998 portrait of Singapore's first president Yusof Ishak, which can be found reproduced on Singapore's currency notes.
His work has been exhibited internationally in countries such as Australia, Belgium, Germany, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Thailand, and his paintings are in the collection of the National Gallery Singapore, including his most notable work, National Language Class (1959).