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Liu Kang (artist)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liu_Kang_(artist)Liu Kang (Chinese: 刘抗; pinyin: Liú Kàng) was a Singaporean artist famous for his Balinese-themed figurative paintings. He was a founding member of the Singapore Art Society, and was credited with developing the Nanyang style.
He was born in Fujian Province and he spent his early years in Malaysia, studied art in Shanghai and Paris, and taught art in Shanghai during the 1930s. Under the influence of Chinese artist and art teacher Liu Haisu (1896–1994), Liu admired, and often appropriated the styles of French-based modernist painters such as Cézanne, van Gogh and Matisse. Liu Kang came to Singapore in 1942 and had been credited with numerous contributions to the local arts scene. In 1952, Liu Kang, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi and Cheong Soo Pieng went on their historic field trip to Bali in search of a visual expression that was Southeast Asian. Liu drew much inspiration from this trip which inspired some of his latter works. In 1970, Liu was awarded thePublic Service Star by the Singapore Government. He was honoured by the same agency in 1996 with the Meritorious Service Medal. His works, spanning from 1935 to 1997, are a testament of his contributions to Singapore art.
In May 2003, the then 94-year-old artist gave the majority of his paintings and sketches, amounting to 1,000 over pieces, to the Singapore Art Museum. He also unveiled a painting of three Balinese women, each carrying a basket of offerings, which was symbolic of his personal offering to the museum and to the country. The painting was aptly titled Offerings.
To commemorate the 100th year of Liu Kang's birth, the National Art Gallery, Singapore, together with the Global Chinese Arts & Culture Society and Lianhe Zaobao held a forum titled "Liu Kang: Tropical Vanguard" on Saturday, 2 April 2011. The forum brought together a panel of established artists and scholars to discuss Liu Kang's significant influence and contributions to Singapore's art history, the local and international perspectives of this pioneering artist, as well as Liu Kang's many facets as a leader and visionary of the Singapore art community.
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Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang
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Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 17 ~ Nude Topless, Mountain Spring Bali (1953).jpg
Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 18 ~ My Grand Son, Sketch (1992).jpg
Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 19 ~ My Son Thai Ker (1948)
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Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang
Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 14 ~ Life by the River, 1975
Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 08-02 ~ Indian Musicians (1972)
Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 12-02 ~ Artist & Model.jpg
Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 15 ~ Liu Haisu Tenth Trip to Mount Huangshan.jpg
Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 15 ~ Souri.jpg
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Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 11 ~ Building Site, Samsui Women
S1980-0803-001-0
Type Painting
Materials Oil on canvas
Measurements 151 cm, 212.5 cm
Creator name Liu Kang
Where it was made Singapore
Time period 20th Century; 1951
Function An artwork
Acquisition Artwork donated by various donors
Copyright
Acknowledgements
Owner NUS Museum, NUS Centre For the Arts
Museum NUS Museum, NUS Centre For the Arts, Singapore
Credit line
Why this is a masterpiece?
Female figures are working in a building site. They are known as"samsui women" – women who have emigrated from China to South East Asia to work as labourers at construction sites. Here, they are typically clad in blue samfoos (a long sleeved tunic worn over pants) and don red head-dresses. In this particular scene, makeshift wooden planks are used as steps leading up to the raised level of the foundation. Tools such as changkul and baskets are used to work on and transport the construction materials (namely stones and bricks). The female labourers are breaking up stones and making cement so as to lay bricks. Colours used are bright and lively whilst figures are diminutive in stature as is typical of the artist's style. In Samsui Women, Liu Kang pays tribute to the female economic migrants who laboured as construction workers in the early years of modern Singapore. Originating from the province of Samsui, the Samsui woman's uniform consisted of a red headgear and dark blue shirt and pants. The individual activities of the women labouring on a construction site are explicitly detailed in a realist manner, suggesting the artist's intent to offer an account of their exacting vocation.
History of the Object
One of the seminal figures of modern Singapore art, Liu Kang, along with his contemporaries Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng, Georgette Chen and Chen Chong Swee, are regarded as pioneer artists whose practices shaped the pictorial language of the Nanyang School. Born in Fujian, China, Liu's formative years were spent in Malaya. He returned to China to train at the Xinhua Arts Academy, Shanghai, before departing for Paris in 1928 to immerse himself in the Parisian art scene where Liu's paintings suggest the stylistic influence of Post-Impressionism. He taught at Xinhua for a few years before returning to Malaya in 1937, and eventually settled in Singapore after World War II. In Singapore, Liu's artistic activities extended beyond art creation to teaching and writing, revealing himself to be a keen observer and articulate commentator on art, society and culture. Liu Kang worked largely in oil and pastel. In the 1950s, he pushed the earlier stylistic values of Post-Impressionism to advance naïve and decorative qualities and gave precedence to bright hues, flat surfaces and bold outlines in his treatment of local themes. These qualities mark an individualistic style that is Liu's alone among his contemporaries. Liu Kang was conferred the Public Service Star in 1970 and the Meritorious Service Medal by the Singapore Government in 1996.
Female figures are working in a building site. They are known as"samsui women" – women who have emigrated from China to South East Asia to work as labourers at construction sites. Here, they are typically clad in blue samfoos (a long sleeved tunic worn over pants) and don red head-dresses. In this particular scene, makeshift wooden planks are used as steps leading up to the raised level of the foundation. Tools such as changkul and baskets are used to work on and transport the construction materials (namely stones and bricks). The female labourers are breaking up stones and making cement so as to lay bricks. Colours used are bright and lively whilst figures are diminutive in stature as is typical of the artist's style. In Samsui Women, Liu Kang pays tribute to the female economic migrants who laboured as construction workers in the early years of modern Singapore. Originating from the province of Samsui, the Samsui woman's uniform consisted of a red headgear and dark blue shirt and pants. The individual activities of the women labouring on a construction site are explicitly detailed in a realist manner, suggesting the artist's intent to offer an account of their exacting vocation.
History of the Object
One of the seminal figures of modern Singapore art, Liu Kang, along with his contemporaries Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng, Georgette Chen and Chen Chong Swee, are regarded as pioneer artists whose practices shaped the pictorial language of the Nanyang School. Born in Fujian, China, Liu's formative years were spent in Malaya. He returned to China to train at the Xinhua Arts Academy, Shanghai, before departing for Paris in 1928 to immerse himself in the Parisian art scene where Liu's paintings suggest the stylistic influence of Post-Impressionism. He taught at Xinhua for a few years before returning to Malaya in 1937, and eventually settled in Singapore after World War II. In Singapore, Liu's artistic activities extended beyond art creation to teaching and writing, revealing himself to be a keen observer and articulate commentator on art, society and culture. Liu Kang worked largely in oil and pastel. In the 1950s, he pushed the earlier stylistic values of Post-Impressionism to advance naïve and decorative qualities and gave precedence to bright hues, flat surfaces and bold outlines in his treatment of local themes. These qualities mark an individualistic style that is Liu's alone among his contemporaries. Liu Kang was conferred the Public Service Star in 1970 and the Meritorious Service Medal by the Singapore Government in 1996.
Download this masterpiece's images:
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Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 10 ~ Seated Model, 1953, Oil on canvas
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Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 08-09
Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 08-01 ~ Indian Musicians (1972)
Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 09 ~ My Young Wife, A Girl Sitting on Verandah (1944)
Liu Kang (1911 to 2004) played a key role in the development of Singapore's art scene. Singapur Art Museum is celebrating 100th anniversary of the birth of Liu Kang for memorialize him.A highly regarded and respected Singapore artist, the National Art Gallery, Singapore is organising "Liu Kang: A Centennial Celebration". Featuring 100 artworks, sketches, writings and artefacts, the exhibition invites art enthusiasts and visitors alike to explore the life and mind of the prolific artist known for being one of the founders of the Nanyang movement. Visitors can also learn about his artistic beliefs and his insights on art and culture. Since the National Art Gallery will not open until 2015, this exhibition is being hosted by the Singapore Art Museum, where it will be on view until October 16th.
The National Art Gallery, Singapore is a brand new visual arts institution building upon a sound foundation of scholarship and experience. Over time, they hope to strengthen Singapore's role as a regional and international hub for visual arts. Right in the heart of the Civic District, two monumental buildings — the City Hall and the former Supreme Court — will be refurbished and reborn as the National Art Gallery. At 60,000 square metres, we will not only be the largest visual arts venue in Singapore but also one of the largest in the region when the Gallery opens officially in 2015. The collection's strength lies in its comprehensive representation of Singapore art and its unparalleled holdings of works by major Singaporean artists such as Georgette Chen, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng and Liu Kang. The collection also includes significant pieces from Southeast Asian artists of international standing, such as Affandi (Indonesia), Latiff Mohidin (Malaysia), Le Pho (Vietnam), Montien Boonma (Thailand) and Fernando Cueto Amorsolo (Phillippines). Apart from exhibitions within Singapore, their collection has also travelled to international museums and has been displayed at leading museums, galleries and institutions in the Americas, Europe and Asia.
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Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 04-07
Liu Kang
Liu Kang is one of the pioneer artist involved in the " Nanyang" movement which seeks to integrate the art of the East and the West so as to create a new style of art which identifies the artists of the " South Seas".
A quote from the artist:
"People and places are the main stimuli for my art. My early training in art in Shanghai has laid a from foundation for me to explore the Chinese art and culture. My exposure to European art came in the late 1920s when I soujourned to Paris. When I came to Singapore, I started to explore subjects and themes which is unique to the country.Due to my artistic training and background, the fusion of Oriental and Western art style comes naturally."
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Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 00 ~ Catalogue of Liu Kang Retrospective
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Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 03 ~ Back to nature
Back to nature
A 1997 oil by the late Singapore artist Liu Kang. I wonder if the artist actually watched such a scene in Bali, in the 1950s and 60s.
The image, like the other piece, Trying Out a Batik Dress, was scanned from an arts catalogue. It is one of my favourites. When you can't afford to buy the original, you can scan the image from the art catalogue (at 300DPI resolution to capture details) and print out on glossy A3 or A2 photo sheet. And if you don't have a large format printer, go to Peace Centre mall at Selegie Road and pass your image file to one of the dozens of printing shops there, to produce a large colour print for you, at less than $20 a copy.
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Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 02 ~ Trying out a batik dress
Trying out a batik dress
A 1997 oil by the late Singapore artist Liu Kang. The image was scanned from an arts catalogue. It is one of my favourites. I once printed it on A3 glossy paper and showed it to Liu Kang a few years back when we were lunching at a restaurant in Paragon shopping mall. He was taken aback by the lucent quality of the print which seemed more vivid than his original oil!
When you can't afford the original, you can scan the image from the art catalogue (at 300DPI resolution to capture details) and print it on glossy A3 or A2 photo sheet. And if you don't have a large format printer, go to Peace Centre mall at Selegie Road and give your image file to one of the dozens of printing shops there, to have them produce a large colour print at less than $20 a copy.
See also a second picture scanned from the same catalogue: Back to nature.
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Art ~ Singaporean Artist ~ Liu Kang ~ 01 ~ Portrait of Miss Lu (1947)
Portrait of Miss Lu (1947)
Size: 49 x 39cm
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: Private Collection.
Size: 49 x 39cm
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: Private Collection.
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Liu Kang
By Tan, Bonny written on 15-Dec-1997
National Library Board Singapore
National Library Board Singapore
Comments on article: InfopediaTalk
Liu Kang (a.k.a. Liu Kai) (b. 1 April 1911, Yongchun County, Fujian Province, China - d. 1 June 2004, Singapore) renowned oil painter, a member of a group of pioneer local artist, and a key player in establishing a local style in the visual arts. Liu Kang not only produced a wide portfolio of works but also, through his various positions in art schools, influenced the next generation of artists and painters in Singapore.
Early life
Born in the year the Qing Dynasty fell in China, Liu Kang spent his early years in Malaya, where his father worked as a rubber merchant. A mispronunciation by his principal at Muar Primary School led to his name being changed from Liu Kai to Liu Kang. He continued his secondary school education in China at Tsinan University Middle School in 1926. During the school holidays, he took art classes at the Shanghai College of Fine Arts, later renamed Xinhua Arts Academy. Residing with his good friend, Chen Jen Hao, he came to know and fell in love with Jen Hao's sister, Chen Jen Pen. Although only in her early teens, Jen Pen's love remained and she later become Liu's wife.
Shanghai was strongly influenced by Western arts during the 1920s and 1930s, the time Liu Kang was studying art there. Liu Kang continued his art education in Paris at the Academie de Grande Chaumiere from 1929 to 1933, where he was drawn to post-impressionists such as Paul Cezanne, Paul Gaugin and Vincent Van Gogh, masters whose works continue to influence his own.
WWII
During the war years, he and his family fled back to Muar, leaving behind more than 200 paintings, almost all of which have been looted and destroyed. Liu Kang witnessed many atrocities committed by the Japanese soldiers on the local people. In 1946, after the war had ended, he published sketches of Japanese brutality on Asians in a multi-volumed work entitled Chop Suey. The series was published in both English and Chinese, and in 1991 was translated into Japanese by Professor Nakahara Michiko. Only limited copies of the original Chop Suey can be found as a complete set.
Nanyang style
Having received his art education from the best of both hemispheres, Liu Kang translated these influences and incorporated local Southeast Asian flavours to his work to create the distinct Nanyang style. This particular style, attributed to Singapore's pioneer painters, was first seen in the works of Liu Kang and fellow painters Chen Wen Hsi, Chen Chong Swee and Cheong Soo Pieng upon their return from a study-cum-painting trip in Bali in 1952. Some of his well-known paintings from this era include: Artist and Model (1954), Batik Workers (1954) and Balinese Girl in Red Sarong (undated). Liu Kang's reach however went beyond that of his peers as he continued to influence the next generation of artists through his teaching positions in the local art institutions - the Association of Chinese Artists of Singapore, the Singapore Art Society and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Art (NAFA). Besides well-known artists, some of his students include famed personalities such as Singapore's first elected president, Ong Teng Cheong.
Despite eye problems and a failed cataract transplant in 1986, Liu Kang continued to paint and exhibit his works. His most significant recent exhibition is that held in China in November 2000, after having postponed it for more than a decade due to the Tiananmen incident in 1989. Liu Kang's work has been exhibited in several other countries including France, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and the USA.
Awards
1970 : the Public Service Star, Singapore
1985 : Singapore Art Society Service Award and Society of Chinese Artists Service Award
1993 : the ASEAN Creative Award, Brunei.
1996 : the Meritorious Service Medal, Singapore for "laying a firm foundation and developing a distinctive art movement in Singapore"
Positions
1946 - 1958 : President of the Society of Chinese Artists, Singapore.
1968 - 1979 : President of the Singapore Art Society
Chairman, National Day Art Exhibition Working Committee
Chairman, the Advisory Committee on Visual Arts
Timeline
1917 - 1926 : Grew up in Muar, Malaya.
1928 : Graduated in art at the Xinhua Art Academy, Shanghai, China after studying there for about three years.
1928 - 1933 : Continued his art studies in L'Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris.
1933 - 1937 : Professor of Western Painting at Shanghai College of Fine Arts
May 1937 : Wed Chen Jen Ping in Shanghai. They had met when he was only 16 and she 14 but married almost a decade later, as Liu Kang had to complete his Parisian studies. They moved to Malaya when the Japanese invaded Shanghai three months after their wedding. There he taught Art in Chong Hwa High School
1937 - 1942 : Taught Art at the Nan Chiao Teachers' Training College Singapore and Chung Cheng High School.
1941 : Returned to Muar when the Japanese attacked Singapore. There he opened a coffeeshop with his brother.
1957 : First solo exhibition at Victoria Theatre Hall.
1968 : Founding member of the Singapore Arts Society and served as its President for 10 consecutive years.
1981: Liu Kang's Retrospective Exhibition, National Museum, Singapore, one of his largest locally with 220 artworks displayed
1983 : Liu Kang Exhibition Tour in Taipei, Kaoshiung, Taichung and Tainan in Taiwan. Exhibition proceeded to Hong Kong
1993 - 1996 : Blinded in his left cornea, Liu Kang almost stopped painting until a successful cataract surgery in 1996
1997 : Liu Kang at 87 Exhibition, Singapore Art Museum.
1998 : Liu Kang at 88 Exhibition, Singapore Soka Association included 72 works of his family members
Nov 2000 : First solo exhibition in Beijing
May 2003 : Liu Kang donates his life work to the Singapore Art Museum
Family
Wife: Chen Jen Ping, sister of painter Chen Jen Hao. Came from a wealthy family of cultured government officials in Fuzhou. Liu Kang painted six portraits of her between 1927 to 1992, with the earliest painted before they married. She taught Chinese and Mathematics at Nan Hua Primary School until she retired at 58.
Sons: Liu Thai Ker (b. 23 Feb 1938), head of Housing and Development Board, URA and various arts committees; Liu Huang (1940), art teacher; Liu Liang (b. 1942), architect; Kah Teck (b. 1944), architect.
Daughter: Liu Taw Sen (b. 1947), civil servant.
Author
Bonny Tan & Ruth Creamer
References
Liu, K. (2002). Liu Kang, drawn from life. Singapore: Singapore Art Museum.
(Call no.: RSING 759.5957 LIU)
Liu, K. (1998). Liu Kang at 88. Singapore: Singapore Soka Association.
(Call no.: RSING 759.95957 LIU)
Reminiscence of Singapore's pioneer art masters: Liu Kang, Cheong Soo Pieng, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi: 11 March-22 March 1994. (1994). Singapore: Singapore Mint.
(Call no.: RSING 759.95957 REM)
Lee, S. (2003, May 31). And love is the greatest. The Straits Times, Life!
Leong W. K. (2000, March 31). He's still a work in progress. The Straits Times, Life!, pp. 1, 6-7.
Mathi, B. (1998, December 13). The portraits of my love. The Straits Times, Prime News, p. 3.
Sasitharan, T. (1989, July 21). Coloured by Time. The Straits Times, Section 2, p. 2.
Tee, H. C. (2003, June 1). Liu Kang donates life's works to museum. The Straits Times.
Teoh, E. (1996, November 9). Happy reunion as Liu Kang gets his award. The Straits Times, p. 1.
Shocking revelations. (1991, April 6). The Straits Times, Life!, p. 9.
Further Readings
Liu, K. (2000). Journeys: Liu Kang and his art. Singapore: National Arts Council.
(Call no.: RSING 759.95957 LIU)
Low, K. C., & Dunlop, P. K. G. (Eds.). (2000). Whos who in Singapore. Singapore: Who's Who Publishing.
(Call no.: RSING 920.05957 WHO)
Liu, K. (1997). Liu Kang at 87. Singapore: National Arts Council: National Heritage Board.
(Call no.: RSING 759.95957 LIU)
Liu, K. (1993). World of Liu Kang 1993. Singapore: National Museum Art Gallery.
(Call no.: RSING 759.95957 LIU)
Liu, K. (1981). The paintings of Liu Kang. [Singapore: Liu Kang].
(Call no.: RCLOS 759.95957 LIU)
McClure, L. (1982). Portrait of an artist: Liu Kang [Videotape]. Singapore: Singapore Broadcasting Cooperation.
(Call no.: RAV 759.95957 PRO)
Ministry of Community Development. (1989). Artist: Liu Kang [Videotape]. Singapore: The Ministry.
(Call no.: RAV 759.95957 ART)
Chop Suey [Text in Japanese]. (1990). [S.I.: s. n.].
(Call no.: RSING Other 940.53595 CHO)
Liu Kang retrospective. (1981). Singapore: Ministry of Culture and National Museum.
(Call no.: RCLOS 759.95957 LIU)
University Scholars Programme, National University of Singapore. (2000, May). Liu Kang: An overview. Retrieved July 1, 2003, fromwww.scholars.nus.edu.sg/landow/post/singapore/arts/painters/liukang/
The information in this article is valid as at 1997 and correct as far as we can ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the library for further reading materials on the topic.
Early life
Born in the year the Qing Dynasty fell in China, Liu Kang spent his early years in Malaya, where his father worked as a rubber merchant. A mispronunciation by his principal at Muar Primary School led to his name being changed from Liu Kai to Liu Kang. He continued his secondary school education in China at Tsinan University Middle School in 1926. During the school holidays, he took art classes at the Shanghai College of Fine Arts, later renamed Xinhua Arts Academy. Residing with his good friend, Chen Jen Hao, he came to know and fell in love with Jen Hao's sister, Chen Jen Pen. Although only in her early teens, Jen Pen's love remained and she later become Liu's wife.
Shanghai was strongly influenced by Western arts during the 1920s and 1930s, the time Liu Kang was studying art there. Liu Kang continued his art education in Paris at the Academie de Grande Chaumiere from 1929 to 1933, where he was drawn to post-impressionists such as Paul Cezanne, Paul Gaugin and Vincent Van Gogh, masters whose works continue to influence his own.
WWII
During the war years, he and his family fled back to Muar, leaving behind more than 200 paintings, almost all of which have been looted and destroyed. Liu Kang witnessed many atrocities committed by the Japanese soldiers on the local people. In 1946, after the war had ended, he published sketches of Japanese brutality on Asians in a multi-volumed work entitled Chop Suey. The series was published in both English and Chinese, and in 1991 was translated into Japanese by Professor Nakahara Michiko. Only limited copies of the original Chop Suey can be found as a complete set.
Nanyang style
Having received his art education from the best of both hemispheres, Liu Kang translated these influences and incorporated local Southeast Asian flavours to his work to create the distinct Nanyang style. This particular style, attributed to Singapore's pioneer painters, was first seen in the works of Liu Kang and fellow painters Chen Wen Hsi, Chen Chong Swee and Cheong Soo Pieng upon their return from a study-cum-painting trip in Bali in 1952. Some of his well-known paintings from this era include: Artist and Model (1954), Batik Workers (1954) and Balinese Girl in Red Sarong (undated). Liu Kang's reach however went beyond that of his peers as he continued to influence the next generation of artists through his teaching positions in the local art institutions - the Association of Chinese Artists of Singapore, the Singapore Art Society and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Art (NAFA). Besides well-known artists, some of his students include famed personalities such as Singapore's first elected president, Ong Teng Cheong.
Despite eye problems and a failed cataract transplant in 1986, Liu Kang continued to paint and exhibit his works. His most significant recent exhibition is that held in China in November 2000, after having postponed it for more than a decade due to the Tiananmen incident in 1989. Liu Kang's work has been exhibited in several other countries including France, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and the USA.
Awards
1970 : the Public Service Star, Singapore
1985 : Singapore Art Society Service Award and Society of Chinese Artists Service Award
1993 : the ASEAN Creative Award, Brunei.
1996 : the Meritorious Service Medal, Singapore for "laying a firm foundation and developing a distinctive art movement in Singapore"
Positions
1946 - 1958 : President of the Society of Chinese Artists, Singapore.
1968 - 1979 : President of the Singapore Art Society
Chairman, National Day Art Exhibition Working Committee
Chairman, the Advisory Committee on Visual Arts
Timeline
1917 - 1926 : Grew up in Muar, Malaya.
1928 : Graduated in art at the Xinhua Art Academy, Shanghai, China after studying there for about three years.
1928 - 1933 : Continued his art studies in L'Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris.
1933 - 1937 : Professor of Western Painting at Shanghai College of Fine Arts
May 1937 : Wed Chen Jen Ping in Shanghai. They had met when he was only 16 and she 14 but married almost a decade later, as Liu Kang had to complete his Parisian studies. They moved to Malaya when the Japanese invaded Shanghai three months after their wedding. There he taught Art in Chong Hwa High School
1937 - 1942 : Taught Art at the Nan Chiao Teachers' Training College Singapore and Chung Cheng High School.
1941 : Returned to Muar when the Japanese attacked Singapore. There he opened a coffeeshop with his brother.
1957 : First solo exhibition at Victoria Theatre Hall.
1968 : Founding member of the Singapore Arts Society and served as its President for 10 consecutive years.
1981: Liu Kang's Retrospective Exhibition, National Museum, Singapore, one of his largest locally with 220 artworks displayed
1983 : Liu Kang Exhibition Tour in Taipei, Kaoshiung, Taichung and Tainan in Taiwan. Exhibition proceeded to Hong Kong
1993 - 1996 : Blinded in his left cornea, Liu Kang almost stopped painting until a successful cataract surgery in 1996
1997 : Liu Kang at 87 Exhibition, Singapore Art Museum.
1998 : Liu Kang at 88 Exhibition, Singapore Soka Association included 72 works of his family members
Nov 2000 : First solo exhibition in Beijing
May 2003 : Liu Kang donates his life work to the Singapore Art Museum
Family
Wife: Chen Jen Ping, sister of painter Chen Jen Hao. Came from a wealthy family of cultured government officials in Fuzhou. Liu Kang painted six portraits of her between 1927 to 1992, with the earliest painted before they married. She taught Chinese and Mathematics at Nan Hua Primary School until she retired at 58.
Sons: Liu Thai Ker (b. 23 Feb 1938), head of Housing and Development Board, URA and various arts committees; Liu Huang (1940), art teacher; Liu Liang (b. 1942), architect; Kah Teck (b. 1944), architect.
Daughter: Liu Taw Sen (b. 1947), civil servant.
Author
Bonny Tan & Ruth Creamer
References
Liu, K. (2002). Liu Kang, drawn from life. Singapore: Singapore Art Museum.
(Call no.: RSING 759.5957 LIU)
Liu, K. (1998). Liu Kang at 88. Singapore: Singapore Soka Association.
(Call no.: RSING 759.95957 LIU)
Reminiscence of Singapore's pioneer art masters: Liu Kang, Cheong Soo Pieng, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi: 11 March-22 March 1994. (1994). Singapore: Singapore Mint.
(Call no.: RSING 759.95957 REM)
Lee, S. (2003, May 31). And love is the greatest. The Straits Times, Life!
Leong W. K. (2000, March 31). He's still a work in progress. The Straits Times, Life!, pp. 1, 6-7.
Mathi, B. (1998, December 13). The portraits of my love. The Straits Times, Prime News, p. 3.
Sasitharan, T. (1989, July 21). Coloured by Time. The Straits Times, Section 2, p. 2.
Tee, H. C. (2003, June 1). Liu Kang donates life's works to museum. The Straits Times.
Teoh, E. (1996, November 9). Happy reunion as Liu Kang gets his award. The Straits Times, p. 1.
Shocking revelations. (1991, April 6). The Straits Times, Life!, p. 9.
Further Readings
Liu, K. (2000). Journeys: Liu Kang and his art. Singapore: National Arts Council.
(Call no.: RSING 759.95957 LIU)
Low, K. C., & Dunlop, P. K. G. (Eds.). (2000). Whos who in Singapore. Singapore: Who's Who Publishing.
(Call no.: RSING 920.05957 WHO)
Liu, K. (1997). Liu Kang at 87. Singapore: National Arts Council: National Heritage Board.
(Call no.: RSING 759.95957 LIU)
Liu, K. (1993). World of Liu Kang 1993. Singapore: National Museum Art Gallery.
(Call no.: RSING 759.95957 LIU)
Liu, K. (1981). The paintings of Liu Kang. [Singapore: Liu Kang].
(Call no.: RCLOS 759.95957 LIU)
McClure, L. (1982). Portrait of an artist: Liu Kang [Videotape]. Singapore: Singapore Broadcasting Cooperation.
(Call no.: RAV 759.95957 PRO)
Ministry of Community Development. (1989). Artist: Liu Kang [Videotape]. Singapore: The Ministry.
(Call no.: RAV 759.95957 ART)
Chop Suey [Text in Japanese]. (1990). [S.I.: s. n.].
(Call no.: RSING Other 940.53595 CHO)
Liu Kang retrospective. (1981). Singapore: Ministry of Culture and National Museum.
(Call no.: RCLOS 759.95957 LIU)
University Scholars Programme, National University of Singapore. (2000, May). Liu Kang: An overview. Retrieved July 1, 2003, fromwww.scholars.nus.edu.sg/landow/post/singapore/arts/painters/liukang/
The information in this article is valid as at 1997 and correct as far as we can ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the library for further reading materials on the topic.
Subject
Personalities>>Biographies>>Artists
Painters--Singapore
Artists--Singapore
Artists--Singapore
Arts>>Painting
Arts>>Art museums, collections and exhibitions
Personalities>>Biographies>>Artists
Painters--Singapore
Artists--Singapore
Artists--Singapore
Arts>>Painting
Arts>>Art museums, collections and exhibitions
All Rights Reserved. National Library Board Singapore 2004.
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