See Cheen Tee (1928 – 1996)

See Cheen Tee was born in 1928, Trengganu, Malaysia. In 1950, See enrolled in the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) to study art under Singapore’s renowned artists, like Lim Hak Tai, Chen Wen Hsi and Cheong Soo Pieng. Upon graduation, he was recruited to teach at the academy, where he stayed for five years before returning to Malaysia to head the art departments of Chung Hwa High School and Nan Hwa High School in Muar and Sitiawan, respectively. In 1965, See returned to NAFA for six years while illustrating cartoons for several local news publications.

Best known for his woodcut prints, See was not one to shy away from experimenting with other mediums. Throughout his career, See experimented with sculpture, figure drawing, graphic design, oil, watercolour, Chinese brush and finger paintings. All of these artworks were inspired by his lived experiences. In 1966, See participated in the historic Six Men Woodcut exhibition. Not only was the event the first local display of woodcuts, but it was also the first major art exhibition in Singapore post-independence. See, influenced by his childhood memories of Trengganu‘s idyllic sights, often captured the tranquil scenes of the land in many of his works across mediums. Chen passed away in 1996.