Born in 1933 in Singapore, Tan Choo Kuan was trained in Western Art at Singapore’s Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. A dedicated art teacher and prolific artist, Tan’s legacy was recognised in October 2005 with the Singapore Art Museum’s acquisition of 74 select sketches and drawings on paper completed between 1953 and 2005.Whereas most travellers record the sites with a camera, Tan is noted for his snapshot sketches. And is frequently the case in his drawings, a tree is at the forefront and frames the vista. It isn’t clear whether Tan has exercised his artistic licence to arrange the composition on paper to his satisfaction, but since he preferred to sketch what was in front of him it can be assumed that this is an accurate representation of the landscape. The composition is very interesting, with the juxtaposition of nature with the man-made backdrop.
