Born in Singapore, Tan Oe Pang (b. 1947) is an established ink painter in Singapore. He learnt Chinese painting from Fan Chang Tien (1907-1987) at the age of 13, thereby tracing his painting lineage to the Shanghai School of painting. Innovative and daring in his paintings, Tan is recognized as an important artist contributing to the development of ink works in Singapore. Known locally and internationally, Tan has held solo exhibitions in Singapore and other countries, such as China, Brazil and Taiwan. This series of works exemplifies Tan’s dexterity in the ink medium. Through the skillful use of atmospheric perspective and a variety of brushwork, Tan captures the monumentality of the mountains. Hidden amidst the work is a writhing dragon, suggesting the existence of spirituality within nature. The contours amongst the perilous peaks, which are reminiscent of human profiles, also allude to the close connection between humanity and nature in Chinese cosmology.
