Born in 1937, Singaporean artist Ho Kah Leong is known for his en plein air paintings and Chinese calligraphy. Trained at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) for one and a half years in the mid-1950s, Ho explored with various mediums such as outdoor sketching, woodblock printing, photography and painting. Graduating with a Bachelor of Science Nanyang University in 1963, Ho continues to hone his skills and participates actively in the local art scene even when he was a teacher and politician. Serving as a NAFA’s principal from 1997 to 2003, Ho is passionate in working outdoor and painting on-site to capture the essence and life of a scene, which he believes can evoke one’s emotion.

The above woodcut print not only exemplifies Ho’s passion in capturing the expression of a mother’s love for her child, but it also exemplifies his training at NAFA. Woodcut prints, which gained popularity among local artists in the 1950s and 1960s were slated towards socio-political themes.

Towards the end of the 1960s, the popularity declined, and artists began to focus on the simplicity of everyday activities, local landscapes and local themes. The movement of lines in the background of the print seemingly depicts Ho’s interpretation of love radiating from the mother to the child.