Born in 1931 in China, Chua Mia Tee migrated to Singapore in 1937. A graduate from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1957, Chua is a highly regarded master of portrait painting. Chua has painted portraitures of prominent public figures, including presidents and prime ministers of Singapore. Besides portraitures, Chua also paints nationalistic and local scenes of Singapore, which serve as historical documentations of the nation’s changing landscape.‘Tai Chi Practice at Community Centre’ depicts a group of Tai chi enthusiasts practicing indoors, in a community centre. This scene can still be seen in Singapore today. The diminishing size of the figures creates the illusion of depth and distance, giving one a sense of the size of the centre.
