Wee Beng Chong is one of Singapore’s most versatile artists, producing exceptional works in various mediums, such as calligraphy, seal carving, printmaking, sculpture, mixed media works, oil and Chinese ink painting. His formal art education began in 1955 when he enrolled in the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and was introduced to different genres of art. Besides building a solid foundation in Western art, the artist also picked up seal carving and Chinese ink painting under the tutelage of See Hiang To. Later in 1964, Wee studied sculpture at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, adding sculpture-making to his impressive list of art skills. As a key figure in promoting the development of visual arts in Singapore from the 1960s–1980s, Wee was accorded the Cultural Medallion in 1979.

Here, Wee created a seal featuring Liu Kang’s name. Liu was a committed educator who spent much of his life teaching and promoting art at several institutions and societies. Together with Cheong Soo Pieng, Chen Chong Swee and Chen Wen Hsi, Liu was also credited for the birth of the Nanyang art style, a genre of art that adopts Western and Chinese painting traditions to illustrate Southeast Asian subject matter. He passed away the following year at the age of 93. This name seal honours Liu’s dedication to art education and contribution to art in Singapore.