Born in Singapore in 1947, Poon Lian graduated from NAFA in 1969 and majored in Western Painting. He learnt Chinese ink painting under pioneer artist Chen Wen Hsi and is adept at Western and Chinese painting techniques. While running his own business, Poon Lian contributed to NAFA in various capacities as an alumnus and continued his art practice. He retired in 2003 and became a full-time artist to paint and travel. In 2020, he was named the Ngee Ann Artist of the Year for his achievements and contribution to the local artist community.

Influenced by his teachers at NAFA and his peers, Poon Lian enjoys travelling around the Southeast Asia region and further abroad to Nepal, Taiwan, and China to capture landscapes and imbibe the daily rhythms of life in his paintings. Poon Lian was trained in Western painting at the Academy and focused on Chinese ink and colour in his early artistic career. Later, he delved into the Western tradition of oils. Light falls on the right side of the painting, leaving harsh core shadows on the green foliage that line neatly across the canvas. Beyond the trees, the scene is primarily dim and cool. The man in the foreground, perhaps at rest, watches over the sheep in the distance. This painting attests to Poon Lian’s interest in experimenting with light and shadows.