Lee Boon Wang (b.1934) is one of Singapore’s foremost oil painters. He began practicing art at a young age and later he went on to pursue art education at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Graduating in 1953, Lee taught at the Academy for two years. He also joined the Equator Art Society, when it was formed in 1956. Lee has participated in numerous exhibitions, including Two Man Show in 1974, The Singapore Artists Art Exhibition in 1978, First Solo Exhibition in 1981, and The New York Art Exhibition in 1989. Influenced by his fellow artist and contemporary Chua Mia Tee, Lee Boon Wang draws a large influence from 19th century European realism. ‘Potong Pasir Diary Farmer’ is indicative of Lee’s pushing of the concept of the ‘verisimilitude’, through his meticulous rendering of the subject and also epitomizes Lee’s intensive effort in reflecting the harsh reality suffered by the working class in Singapore then.
