Shantou-born Deng Qichang trained at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, specialising in Chinese ink painting. He was known to challenge traditional norms yet retain the essence of Chinese brushwork. Under the tutelage of Cultural Medallion and NAFA teachers Wee Beng Chong and Tan Kee Sek, Deng graduated in 2013.
Dreamland Series was created before he graduated from the Academy. Through this series, Deng attempts to demonstrate the versatility of the art form by exploring composition, colour and perspective in his works. This enabled him to bring out new visual ideas on the painted surface. While conventional landscape Chinese ink paintings tend to feature sceneries such as mountains and lakes that are seemingly out-of-touch with the contemporary city dweller, Dreamland Series departs from these conventions through the fusion of city life and nature, bridging modernity and tradition. The element of the city becomes the centrepiece and adds a touch of futurism and fantasy to Deng’s landscapes, appealing to the younger generation and relevance in today’s contemporary society.
