Born in 1931, Choo Keng Kwang is widely recognized for realistic renditions of landscape, animals and nature in the oil medium. Sympathetic to local working classes, Choo features them in many of his works. Graduating in 1953 from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), he worked as a teacher, eventually returning to NAFA to helm the Art Education Department in 1984. Choo has since held many solo exhibitions and has participated in group art exhibitions in Southeast Asia, Japan, Europe and USA. Since the 1950s, Choo has received many awards for his many contributions to art and education, among which is the Public Service Medal (PBM) in 1976.Choo is known for his richly detailed depictions of Singapore street scenes which now serve as records of days past. Since the 1900s, Trengganu Street in Chinatown has been a popular street market patronized by housewives and domestic helpers. However after undergoing urban development in the 1980s it is now a tourist spot. On the right, towering above the street stalls is the distinctive housing block of Trengganu Street, unique for its overhanging top floor.
