Born in China in 1934, Lee Boon Wang is one of Singapore’s foremost oil painters. After graduating from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1953, Lee became a full-time artist in 1973. In 1982, Lee was awarded the Singapore Distinction Art Award and in 1989, he was the first Singaporean commissioned to paint the Royal Family of Brunei. Up till 2003, Lee has held seven solo exhibitions, and has participated in seven other group exhibitions in Singapore, New York, Moscow and Brunei.Lee depicts Chingay, an annual street parade of floats and performances launched in 1973 to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Here, Lee chose to focus on the stilt walkers, dressed up as characters from classic Chinese stories and legends. The movement of these stilt walkers are conveyed through their flowing costumes while the excitement of the carnival air is heightened by Lee adopting a viewing angle that is set amidst the crowd.
