signed and dated with stamp of the artist on bottom centre
ink and colour pigments on rice paper
70 x 47 cm
Sold to benefit Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH)
Chua Ek Kay (1947–2008) is recognised as a pioneer of contemporary ink painting and a prominent figure in Singapore’s art scene. He began his career working with traditional Chinese brush and ink, later integrating influences from Western art while further exploring Chinese ink techniques. This innovative approach positions Chua as an important contributor to the development of ink painting in Southeast Asia.
Painted in 2007, Back Alley at Seah St belongs to Chua’s iconic street scene series. Executed in black ink with subtle touches of colour, the work depicts a narrow alley and shophouses articulated through strong linear brushwork. Large areas are deliberately left unpainted, allowing negative space to function as an active compositional element and shaping the overall atmosphere.
While Chua’s earlier shophouse works were more figurative, he gradually reduced detail and simplified form. By 2007, his work had reached a mature balance between architectural representation and abstraction, with architectural elements suggested through minimal lines and light ink washes rather than detailed depiction. As Chua once noted, he wanted “the feeling to be the focus of my paintings, not the rendering of the actual physical architecture.”
Provenance:
Acquired from the artist at Barefoot and in the blood by Chua Ek Kay, Ernst & Young, One Raffles Quay, 2007.
Literature:
Ernst & Young Asean Art Outreach: Chua Ek Kay, Ernst & Young, 2007, illustrated on p. 18.
Exhibition:
Barefoot and in the blood by Chua Ek Kay, Ernst & Young, One Raffles Quay, 2007
Location: Singapore
