Huang Bao Fang (1912 – 1989)
Huang Bao Fang was born in Fujian, China in 1912. Huang received his art education from the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts under the tutelage of Chinese painter Liu Haisu. Huang then sought further education from the renowned artist Wu Changshuo. In 1938, Huang moved from Shanghai to settle in Singapore, where he contributed significantly to the early days of the budding local art scene.
Besides teaching ink painting at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Huang served as the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Singapore Chinese Art Research Association in the 1950s. He participated in many local and overseas exhibitions and exchanges with China to enhance Sino-Singapore cultural relations. In 1980, Huang was appointed President of Singapore’s Society of Chinese Artists. He also became the first artist from Singapore to be invited by China to exhibit a solo show, which was held at the National Art Museum of Beijing. Since settling in Singapore, Huang injected into his ink paintings local realism and flavour through his subject matter. Huang passed away in 1989.
