Sim Kwang Teck (1906-1993)

Sim Kwang Teck was born in 1906 in Chao’an county, Guangdong, China. Sim received his formal art education from Shanghai College of Fine Arts in 1927 before he transferred to Xinhua Art Academy. Upon graduation, Sim taught art in his hometown and moved to Saigon to set up a ceramic factory with his peers. Sim soon left for Cambodia and subsequently, to Sarawak in 1939 where he taught art and Chinese language in Secondary schools. In the 1950s, Sim arrived in Singapore and continued his career as a teacher at various institutions, including the Teacher’s Training College, Ngee Ann College and Chinese High School. Sim also taught part-time at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Dedicated to the arts and strongly passionate about art education, Sim held private art lessons and taught Chinese ink painting and calligraphy to enthusiasts, some of whom, included members of the local Japanese community. In 1969, Sim co-founded the Singapore Watercolour Society with 7 other aspiring watercolour artists to enhance the development of the medium in local art. Though Sim’s works are rarely recognised, he is well known among his students as a generous and supportive mentor of many talents, sharing his wisdom on life, painting and craft work. Trained in both Western and Chinese painting, Sim enjoys creating still-life watercolour paintings and portraits in charcoal and oils.