Born in Singapore in 1947, NAFA alumnus Poon Lian is renowned for his mastery in oil, acrylic and Chinese ink painting. His connection to NAFA runs deep, having graduated in 1969 and teaching for 8 years. Notably, he led the Society of Chinese Artists Singapore, one of the nation's oldest art societies, actively engaging with the local artistic community through event organisation, served on the NAFA Board for 15 years before retiring in 2018.  Since then, he has embarked on extensive travels throughout China and Southeast Asia, seeking inspiration from diverse cultures and the natural world. His artistic excellence and leadership were recognised in 2020 when he was named Ngee Ann Artist of the Year.

‘Roses and Mynahs’ was featured in Poon's 5th solo exhibition ‘Revelation’ at NAFA in Feb 2025. The work depicts two mynahs perched on a fence in a garden filled with blooming roses. While the scene appears realistic, it is however, a constructed composition borne from the artist's imagination. In Chinese culture, the mynah represents an independent spirit associated with intelligence, pairs remain loyal to their chosen mates for life; while roses, non-native to Singapore, can only thrive within a controlled environment such as the cooled conservatories of Gardens by the Bay. Poon creates a harmonious world from these seemingly disparate elements, infusing it with symbolic meaning through metaphors, composition and complex brushwork, a practice rooted in the hua niao 花鸟 genre in Chinese painting. This work charts Poon’s oeuvre particularly this genre within a localised context of Singapore’s urban nature and fauna, complementing the 11 works already in the Collection.