Cheah Thien Soong is a celebrated artist born in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. He graduated from Chung Hua High School Seremban, Malaysia, in 1959 and NAFA, Singapore, in 1962. Cheah trained in Chinese ink and Western painting under Nanyang pioneer artists Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng, Chen Chong Swee, See Hiang To, and Georgette Chen, teachers who profoundly influenced his artistic sensibilities. He furthered his studies and received his doctorate from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico in 2002.
While a significant portion of his works are monochromatic, Cheah also frequently experimented with fusing bright colours with traditional black ink in his paintings. Dominated by blues painted with gestural verve in circular motions, Harmonious Universe illustrates how the artist’s vision was one that experimental and bold. The artwork, which features birds and silhouettes of trees, also reflects the artist’s interests in drawing inspiration from everyday life. Such inclinations stem from his philosophical belief in Tao, a Chinese philosophy promotes knowledge obtained from everyday life.
