See Cheen Tee is best known for his woodblock prints. In the 1950s, he studied at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts under artists such as Lim Hak Tai, Chen Wen Hsi and Cheong Soo Pieng. He became an educator himself at the academy upon graduation. See’s approach incorporates traditional Chinese art techniques to portray subject matter close to home, with depictions of sights and sounds from the Southeast Asian region.
Sentosa island is one of Singapore’s tourist hotspots today. Before it was redeveloped in the late 1960s, the island was known as Pulau Blakang Mati and was made up of several kampungs home to inhabitants of various ethnicities. Depicted in See’s Sentosa (Green) is a view of a kampung in Sentosa pre-development. The attap houses and wooden platforms casually situated around the small basin invite the viewer to experience the tranquillity. The gentle waves of the sea are accentuated with his non-uniformed lines, while the play of light and shadow mimics the warm sunlight reflecting off the surface of the water body. The blue-green hue emphasizes the relaxing atmosphere and adds a touch of melancholy at the same time.
