Born in 1942 in Guangdong, China, Tan Choh Tee received his early art education in China before relocating to Singapore when he was 12. He graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1962, where he studied under pioneer artists Cheong Soo Pieng, Georgette Chen, Liu Kang and Chen Wen-Hsi. Tan has received numerous awards, including the Creative Visual Art Award 2005 from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and the prestigious Cultural Medallion from the Singapore Government in 2006.
Known for his impressionist-style landscape paintings, Ancient City depicts an alleyway of a town in China on a dawning day. Rendered in rich, expressive brushwork, the painting captures the quiet stillness of early morning as light begins to touch the old walls and cobblestone path. The tilted stone posts, weathered facades, and layered rooftops suggest a historic water town in the Jiangnan region. Tan’s loose, gestural strokes and nuanced palette reflect his ability to evoke the mood of a place rather than its precise details, inviting viewers into a moment suspended in time.
