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Tan Chin Boon
墨入湿地 (27) / Strolling in the Wetland (27)
Chinese ink and colour on paper
70 x 69 cm


Singaporean artist and seal carver Tan Chin Boon studied Western Painting at NAFA and graduated in 1972, during which he learnt seal carving and Chinese ink painting under pioneer artists See Hiang To and Chen Chong Swee. Tan is well known for his seal carvings, which feature his aphorisms that are often humorous and reflective of the vernacular. A nod toward infusing local subjects and themes, Tan’s recent ink works are inspired by the tropical wetlands and fauna. His gestural brushstrokes of swampy landscapes wander gently and spontaneously, while his shorebirds and fish are stylised and expressive. His reimagination of classical Chinese landscape painting echoes the sensibilities of the era he lives in as he breathes new life and relevance into age-old painting traditions.

墨入湿地 (27) / Strolling in the Wetland (27), Chinese ink and colour on paper, 70 x 69 cm

如日东升 / Rising Like the Sun, Chinese ink and colour on paper, 69 x 69 cm

心无外物 / Nothing Exists Outside the Mind, Wu Xin, 高山牛角冻 / Alpine horn jelly stone, 8.5 x 6 x 12.2 cm