Born in Fujian Province, Liu Kang (1911-2004) received his formal training in Shanghai Academy of Fine Art, where he was exposed to Chinese paintings. In 1928, he went to Paris where he was influenced by art movements such as Fauvism and Post-Impressionism. Not only was he one of Singapore’s pioneer artists, he was also a leading figure in the Society of Chinese Artists and the Singapore Art Society. In 1970, he was awarded the Public Service Star for his contributions in the field of art.During the Japanese Occupation (1942-1945) when oil painting materials were hard to come by, Liu sought alternative mediums and discovered pastel. He found that pastel lends itself easily to the depiction of the human figure as its luminosity is not diluted by liquid agents and it became his preferred medium for portraiture.
