Theng Hai Huay Kuan

A locality-based group, Theng Hai Huay Kuan was set up in 1965 to fight for the welfare and interest of the Teochews. Over time, the clan grew and expanded its activities. In the spirit of serving the society, they began to reach out and look out for the other communities.

The clan association participates actively in national campaigns, including the promotion of cultural and recreational activities. This allows the younger generations to better understand the history and traditions of the Teochews, thereby passing down the core values of the Chinese people. Theng Hai Huay Kuan is also one of the earliest clan associations in Singapore to have its own website. With the help of technology, they can easily connect with clansmen around the world and reach out to the younger generations. 

Their displays, including paintings and eight calligraphy pieces, are bound to be an eye-opener.

thumbnail gallery
gallery_image
magnifying glass
1/2
gallery_image
magnifying glass
2/2
                                           

Huang Ting
The mountains are under a clear sky, the snow is clean and lovely
2014
Ink on paper
132 x 32cm (each half of couplet)
Inscription 1: Kang Youwei once quoted a poem by Gao Shi from Tang dynasty; Quote from a poem by Du Fu from Tang dynasty, by Old Ting, spring of jiawu year (2014).
Inscription 2: Quote from a poem by Du Fu, Tang dynasty, by Old Ting, spring of jiawu year (2014).
Seals: Huang (characters in white), Old Ting (characters in red), The breeze blows gently (characters in red).


Written in 2014, this calligraphic work combined two quotes from the poems of Gao Shi and Du Fu respectively. The line from Gao Shi’s poem reads: “The mountains are under a clear sky, and the cliffs are covered by ice”, while the line from Du Fu’s poem reads: “The snow is clean and lovely, but the thunder frightens the brave soldiers.” The inscription mentioned that Kang Nanhai (Kang Youwei) had once combined the two quotes as a couplet.

Huang Ting, whose ancestry is from Jieyang, Guangdong province, is one of the key researchers of Teochew culture in China. He is Vice-President of Guangdong Teochew Studies Institute and Editor-in-Chief of the research journal Teochew Studies and Research. He was the Director of the Teochew Study Research Centre, Chinese Department, and the Library under Shantou University, as well as Head of the Teochew Study Research Institute under Hanshan Normal University. He is proficient in calligraphy. He has a classical scholarly writing style, unfettered by past calligraphy models.

thumbnail gallery
gallery_image
magnifying glass
1/2
gallery_image
magnifying glass
2/2
                                           

Ji Minzhen
The sword is sharpened against a rough stone, the plum flower fragrance comes from the cold winter.
2001
Ink on paper
132 x 32cm (each half of couplet)
Inscription: A gift to Theng Hai Huay Kuan. By Ji Minzhen, early autumn in xinsi year (2001).
Seal: Ji Minzhen (characters in white).


This couplet was written by Ji Minzhen in 2001. Ji was one of the founders of the Shicheng Calligraphy and Seal Carving Society Singapore and has won many awards locally. His calligraphy is influenced by the elegant qiti, a style invented by the cultural figure Qi Gong, g (1912 – 2005) who was a grandchild of the eighth-generation descendant of Prince Hong Zhou, the fifth son of Emperor Yongzheng, Qing dynasty.

This calligraphic work has a strong structure, with each character adhering to brushwork principles such as “tighten first, relax later”, “tighten leftwards, relax rightwards”, and “tighten inwards, relax outwards”. Ji’s mastery of the brush lends a scholarly air to the work.

thumbnail gallery
gallery_image
magnifying glass
1/1
                                           

Ang Hoon Seng (1933-)
Each has its destiny and rightful belonging in this world. If it is not mine, I will never partake of it. What I can have are the winds above the river, and the moon hanging in the sky above the mountains. For me, the sound is music and the view is picturesque, with no end for taking and using. This is what the great creation gives us generously.
2010
Ink on paper
117 x 52.5cm
Inscription: A quote from the First Ode to the Red Cliff by Su Shi from the Song dynasty, by Ang Hoon Seng, spring of gengyin year (2010).
Seals: Ang Hoon Seng (characters in white), Good brushes and inkstones are joys of life (characters in red).


This calligraphic work was completed by Ang Hoon Seng (1933- ) in 2010. Ang Hoon Seng, courtesy name of Yun Sheng, is a second-generation Chinese Singaporean. His calligraphy draws references from the styles of many ancient masters. He is proficient in the running (xingshu), cursive (caoshu), and official (kaishu) scripts, and especially the wild cursive (kuangcao) and “one-stroke character” scripts. He has held important positions in various notable organisations in Singapore such as Overseas Union Bank, Ngee Ann Kongsi, Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan, Teochew Federation (Singapore), China Society Singapore, Nanyang Confucian Association, Shicheng Calligraphy and Seal Carving Society Singapore, and the South-East Asia Art Association. He is well-known locally and abroad.

The Red Cliff is a famous ancient battlefield in Chibi, Hubei province. Poets and calligraphers across generations such as Li Bai, Du Fu, and Du Mu have featured the Red Cliff prominently in their works. Su Shi wrote two Odes to the Red Cliff. This calligraphic work highlights the first Ode.

thumbnail gallery
gallery_image
magnifying glass
1/1
                                           

Huang Xuwu (1906-1980)
Buddha once said that Tao, or the Way, is invisible and not necessary for one to learn and get to know. One should just keep going forward, in the same way as a person would continue to polish a copper mirror until the dirt is completely removed. As the mirror begins to shine and reflect, one will then see oneself and know to abandon all desires, instead of believing in the great emptiness.
Undated
Ink on paper
170 x 60cm
Inscription: By Huang Xuwu, at Nan Yuan (Southern Garden).
Seals: Surname Huang from Theng Hai (characters in white), Writing poems on beautiful paper in praise of the beautiful picturesque scenery (characters in red).


It was said that Huaisu  (725 – 785) once wrote the Sutra in Forty-Two Sections at Yandang Mountain using the cursive script (caoshu). One thousand years later, Huang Xuwu rewrote this cursive script. While still written with many twists and turns, Huang’s rendition has a sense of bitterness and jadedness.

Huang Xuwu (1906-1980), also known as Huang Qiujian, has ancestry from Chenghai (Theng Hai), Guangdong province. He was one of the well-known scholars and calligraphers in early Singapore. His father, Huang Junqing, was an overseas Chinese businessman in Thailand. Since young, Huang Xuwu had always loved literature and calligraphy. In 1931, he graduated from the National Central University of China, specialising in Chinese Studies. He was hired as a curator at Nanjing Museum. In the 1950s, he relocated to Hong Kong, before moving to Singapore and teaching at Catholic High School. He once taught at the National Institute of Education and was a professor in the Chinese Department at Nanyang University. He was a senior fellow at the Nanyang University Research Institute and the Director of Lee Kong Chian Museum, as well as an adviser to the Chinese Calligraphy Society of Singapore, a member of the Philippines Global Poetry Society, and the Honorary Director of Singapore Xin Sheng Poetry Society.

thumbnail gallery
gallery_image
magnifying glass
1/1
                                           

Cai Huanqing (1907– 1970)
Rising sun of Laiwu
1965
Ink and colour on paper
107 x 39.5cm
Inscription 1: “Rising Sun of Laiwu” is one of the Eight Sights of Cheng Hai (Theng Hai). Jin Jianlie, a county magistrate from Wu Jiang, Suzhou in the Ming dynasty once wrote, “When the Sun is rising, a sudden surge of red appears. Golden light shines everywhere and leads a road to the fairyland.  Qiu Shaoxian, a teacher from Dingan, Hainan province, once wrote a poem, “It is clear and the purple-red appears above the sea, as the sun has just started rising. Once the sun jumps up from the sea, the beautiful curtain is torn apart, and the big red can be seen. It is so bright that mountains and trees are covered in golden light. The water rolling up and down reflects the sunshine, and the pagoda standing on the mountaintop seems to hold a burning ball. It is said when the sun comes out and shines on the sacred mountain, one will see the splendid city Penglai, where the fairies live. The pagoda   was first built on top of the mountain of Little Laiwu, in the Tianqi era of the Ming dynasty. The pagoda is 10 miles away from the county, facing the mountain of Big Laiwu, which stands in the sea. The pagoda of seven floors is spectacular and stands the highest, making people feel amazed. Written by Cai Huanqing.
Inscription 2: Lu Yuanheng, county magistrate from Changzhou, Jiangsu province in the Ming dynasty, once wrote, “The clear sky and green seawater seem endlessly far, the sun is rolling on mountain tops like on a cart. When the sun is rising from the east, the ancient Emperor Fu Xi drives his cart, chasing the bright sun. The golden lights reflect on the seawaves. It seems as if the sun is rolling up and down, and so is the shadow of the pagoda, tilting, and wobbling. Many say there are many scenic sights in Chengjiang, among which the sun rising in Laiwu in the morning is, undoubtably, the best. ” Written again by Cai Huanqing in October 1965.
Seals: Huang Qing (characters in white), Long (characters in white), Auspicious (characters in red), Cai (characters in red), Man from Feng Shan (characters in red).


The “Rising sun of Laiwu” is one of the “Eight Views of Cheng Hai (Theng Hai)”. Cai Huanqing (1907–1970), courtesy name of Jinghan, was a famous educator, painter and calligrapher of the Lingnan School. Born in Chenghai, Cai had studied poetry since young, and arrived in Singapore in 1939. In 1956, he was secretary in the Chinese Studies Department and taught ink    painting in the Chinese Studies Society of the University of Malaya. In 1963, he became a lecturer in the Chinese Studies Department at Nanyang University and retired in 1968. 

Completed in 1965, this landscape painting features mountain rocks and aged pine trees in the foreground, and a stone tower on a tiny island in the background, amid a sea of blue waves. Although the inscribed prose mentions a rising sun, the painting does not depict any sun, leaving much room for the viewer’s imagination.

thumbnail gallery
gallery_image
magnifying glass
1/1
                                           

Chen Chong Swee (1910 –1985)
Tropical landscape
Undated
Ink and colour on paper
170 x 60cm
Inscription: It is said that this is a place with abundant fish and rice, but how can people obtain the fish and rice freely? Without hard work, one cannot get a cent. It is nonsense when some claim to be lords of this land while others are outsiders. The Chinese came to this remote and poor area, cultivating and developing it; this is why they own the money. Let us share the fortune and prosperity and enjoy the harmony between different peoples in hopes of good fortune for the country. This painting is done to commemorate the news that Singapore has separated from Malaya, Chong Swee, on August 9th, 1965.
Seals: Chen Kai (characters in red), Painted by Chong Swee (characters in white).


Chen Chong Swee (1910 – 1985) is a pioneer artist of Singapore and helped develop the Nanyang School of painting with peers like Liu Kang, Chen Wen Hsi, and Cheong Soo Pieng. In 1931, he graduated from Xinhua Academy of Fine Arts in Shanghai and arrived in Singapore in the same year. Apart from teaching in secondary schools, he later became a lecturer for ink painting at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. In 1935, he won first place in an art competition held in Singapore to commemorate the 25th birthday of King George V. In April of the same year, together with Tchang Ju-Chi, Lee Kueh Sei, Zhuang Youzhao and others, he founded The Society of Chinese Artists, and held positions such as Vice-President and President. In 1969, he helped found the Singapore Watercolour Society, and was once its President. He was also Vice-President of the Singapore Art Society.

In a certain sense, among the above-mentioned four pioneer artists, Chen Chong Swee was the one who most effectively integrated ink painting with local themes. This is an exemplary work. At first glance, this piece seems to be a typical landscape ink painting, similar to those painted by Jiangnan scholar-artists from the Ming dynasty. Yet, upon closer inspection, while the mountain and low clouds appear to be from Jiangnan, the trees and rustic houses at the foot of the mountain are no longer those of the past. Instead, a sense of Malay village life is conveyed by banana leaves and coconut trees swaying by the sea with stilt houses by the river. While the strokes are still the same, the imagery has been transformed into something new. Only the aged trees, yellowing leaves and a lone raft by the river are reminiscent of the lofty elegance found in ancient Chinese poems such as, “Sky hangs low above the trees in vast empty fields; Moon seems nearer above people with reflection in clear and cold rivers.” The painting is full of natural charm. Chen Chong Swee’s works are also known for combining painting and literature. In many paintings, his comments often reflect his literary background and personal sentiments. Despite being written in vernacular form, his texts are merely a different way of presenting classical poems. Poetry and songs give voice to a writer’s ideals, in the same way that a painter reveals his innermost desires through his strokes.

thumbnail gallery
gallery_image
magnifying glass
1/1
                                           

Ng Siew Song
Fragrance of flowers enters through the curtain, and pine trees line the wall. The tones of qin music can still be heard in the house, and the smell of tea lingers in the courtyard.
Undated
Ink on paper
136.5 x 34.5cm
Inscription: A copy of the couplet written by Lin Zexu, the famous minister of the late Qing dynasty in the collection of Lushan Museum, calligraphy by the carefree lay Buddhist Siew Song.
Seals:  Seal of Ng Siew Song (characters in white), Carefree lay Buddhist (characters in red), Find some leisure amid a busy life (characters in red), Who is the master? Me or the brush? (characters in red and white).


Ng Siew Song was born in 1918, the sixth son of the noted Singaporean merchant Ng Sian Chew.  Apart from being founder and senior appraiser of the Singapore Calligraphy Association, he is also a well-known calligrapher, specialising in regular (kaishu) and running (xingshu) scripts. In 1971, Ng Siew Song won first place in the Singapore Calligraphy Competition held by the National Youth Council, with his kaishu calligraphy work “Song of Righteousness” which was originally composed by Wen Tianxiang from the Southern Song dynasty.

In this work written in running script, Ng’s strokes are confidently executed with strength and grace.

thumbnail gallery
gallery_image
magnifying glass
1/1
                                           

Heng Ser Chong (1940-)
People say life is not easy, even when you are in a temple that should be quiet and peaceful. Except for Tao Yuanming, who resigned from office and went into the mountains and lived like a farmer, no one is willing to give up their desire to be an official.
Undated
Ink on paper
131 x 44cm
Inscription: By Heng Ser Chong, a poem of Zen Master Shiwu (Stone House).
Seals: Tai Yuan (characters in red), Long life of lotus and Buddha (characters in white), Hide in a house repairing books (characters in red), Graphic seal (in red), Love Mahayana classics and approaching virtuous masters (characters in white).


Heng Ser Chong’s (1940-), courtesy name of Lianzhai (Lotus House) has ancestry from Chenghai (Theng Hai), Guangdong province. He was born in Singapore and is a keen collector and connoisseur. Coming from a scholarly background, he was famous even as a child. He was a senior reviewer at the Society of Chinese Artists and the Society of Chinese Calligraphy and Arts. He was also a member of the Molan Art Association and Chinese Calligraphy Society Singapore. In this work, there is a resemblance to the yanti style of regular script (kaishu) in its confident and strong strokes.

The abovementioned Zen Master Shiwu refers to a distinguished monk in the Yuan dynasty, named Qinggong, and known by many as Master Qinggong of the Stone House. As a master of the Cao Dongzong sect in Zen Buddhism, he was of particular significance in the Chinese history of monasticism. Japanese scholars refer to him as the “Divine One amongst the Monks”, and his own master, Master Jiyan, referred to him as “the Golden Scale Penetrating the Net in the Sea of Monasticism”. In the first year of Emperor Shun Zong’s reign in the Yuan dynasty, he was awarded the Golden Kasaya.

thumbnail gallery
gallery_image
magnifying glass
1/1
                                           

Chua Ek Kay (1947-2008)
The sky is high, the clouds are pale, and we watch the wild geese vanish southward. If we fail to reach the Great Wall, we are not worthy of being called good men, having already travelled twenty thousand miles. High on the crest of Mount Liupan, red banners wave freely in the west wind. Today we hold the long cord in our hands; when shall we subdue the Grey Dragon?
2000
Ink on paper
170 x 90cm
Inscription: A quote from the poem Mount Liupan, to the tune of qingping music, by Chua Ek Kay, late evening of the gengchen year (2000).
Seal: Chua Ek Kay (engraved characters in red).


Chua Ek Kay (1947-2008), born in Chenghai (Theng Hai), Guangdong province, moved with his family to Singapore in 1953. He graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fine arts from Australia in 1994 and 1995 respectively. Chua Ek Kay studied ink painting under the local Shanghai School painter Fan Chang Tien. By incorporating many modern techniques of Western Expressionism in his works, his unique approach made him stand out from many local Chinese artists at the time. He was referred to as “the bridge between Asian and Western art”. In 1991, he won the UOB Annual Painting of the Year Award, and in 1999, he was conferred the Cultural Medallion.

This work features quotations from Mao Zedong’s poems which were first published in 1957, and later followed by the publication of his handwritten drafts in 1961. Completed in 2000, Chua Ek Kay’s calligraphy captured the ambitious ideals behind the poem.

thumbnail gallery
gallery_image
magnifying glass
1/2
gallery_image
magnifying glass
2/2
                                           

Huang Shiqing (1890-1963)
The waves crash down to move the frozen jade, snow fills the warrior’s uniforms, blown by the Eastern wind.
Undated
Ink on paper
170 x 50cm (each half of couplet)
Inscription: A couplet quoting from poems of Su Shi, by Huang Shiqing, a gift to Mr Lee Wee Nam.
Seals: Living in a humble house (characters in red), Seal of Huang Shiqing (characters in white).


Huang Shiqing (1890-1963), with courtesy name of “Brother from Jiangxia”, is a pioneer calligrapher in Malaysia, with ancestry from Puning, Guangdong province. He was the founding principal of Peicai School in Kuala Lumpur. His calligraphy strokes have a fluid antique flavour, forming a distinctive style. 

This couplet quotes from Su Shi’s poems. The first half of the couplet is from Playing Strings at the Ganlu Temple of Runzhou: “The lake goddess worries, having heard the foggy rain; the waves crash down to move the floating jade.” However, Huang had replaced the word “floating” with “frozen”. The second half of the couplet is from A poem to Zi You written in Huayin County: “The December wine sends the cold away quickly, as snow fills the warrior’s uniforms, blown by the Eastern wind.”

Lee Wee Nam (1880-1964) came from Theng Hai and was one of the senior leaders of the Singapore Teochew community. In 1932, he took up the position of General Manager and Director of Four Seas Communication Bank, before founding the Zaihe Cheng Wei Kee and Wanyi Chenghui Credit Bureau. He also started the Haiquanzhan in Seremban, Malaya. All were successful and well-known businesses. In 1927, Lee Wee Nam was chosen to be the 16th Vice-President of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry and became the 17th President in 1929. He was also the Director and Vice-Director of Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan and Ngee Ann Kongsi respectively. In 1940, he acted as the General Manager of Tuan Mong High School and its Trustee. In the same year, acting as General Manager of Ngee Ann Kongsi and understanding that there was yet a girl’s school for Teochew descendants in Singapore, he started Ngee Ann Girls’ School, acting as its first board chairman. He was appointed by the British colonial government in Malaya to be the Director of Po Leung Kuk and an adviser at the Chinese Advisory Board.

This work, written in regular script (xingkai shu) has a Wei stelae style. Its strokes are powerful and heavy.

thumbnail gallery
gallery_image
magnifying glass
1/1
                                           

Du Yingqiang (1939-)
Thick with leaves and deep-rooted, the River Han flows for eternity.
1994
Ink and colour on paper
119 x 230cm
Inscription: By Du Yingqiang from Theng Hai, painting was started by the bank of River Han in the summer of jiaxu year (1994) and completed at the Swatow Painting Academy.
Seals: Surname Du (characters in red), Yingqiang (characters in white).


Du Yingqiang (1939-) was from Chenghai (Theng Hai), Guangdong province. He is a National First-Class Artist, and Honorary Director of Swatow Painting Academy. This work was completed in 1994. The artist’s proficiency in use of colour has brought the scene of lush banyan trees, flying birds and flowing river to life.

thumbnail gallery
gallery_image
magnifying glass
1/1
                                           

Chen Ke Zhan (1959-)
Lotus
Undated
Ink and colour on paper
66 x 221cm
Signature: Kezhan


Chen Kezhan (1959-) is Vice-President of Theng Hai Huay Kuan. He is a local abstract painter using Chinese ink. Said to have been inspired by past masters such as Shilu and Zhang Daqian, Chen uses techniques of Western abstract expressionism to reinterpret ink paintings in a modern way. In the 1980s, Chen Kezhan studied art in Paris, under the tutelage of Expressionist artist Professor Jean Berthole. He also studied traditional painting and calligraphy under Fan Chang Tien and Zhao Shao’ang in Singapore and Hongkong respectively. In 1978, Chen Kezhan held his first solo exhibition in Paris, receiving wide acclaim. 

This work’s subject is the lotus.  Chen’s use of ink and colour creates a fine balance between dynamism and stillness, vibrancy and introspection.

Chen Kezhan is the fifth-generation descendant of the Chen Cihong family. Chen Cihong came to Singapore in 1871 and was a famous Teochew businessman.

thumbnail gallery
gallery_image
magnifying glass
1/1
                                           

Choo Keng Kwang (1931-2019)
Pigeons
2001
Oil on canvas
160 x 90cm
Signature: K. Kwang，2001


Choo Keng Kwang (1931-2019) graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and was the principal of Sin Hua School for over 30 years. From 1950 to 1970, Choo Keng Kwang painted more than 60 pieces depicting scenes of old Chinatown. Four such paintings were eventually chosen as the images for first-day covers and stamps by the Singapore Post. In 1966, Singapore’s profile was raised when his oil painting Lantern Maker won first prize in the Asian and African category of an international painting competition comprising 33 countries. From 1980 onwards, he turned his attention to painting still-life and animals. Many of his paintings of pigeons, golden carps, and monkeys were even used as official gifts for visiting dignitaries to Singapore. Choo Keng Kwang was awarded the Public Service Medal and Long Service Award by the President. He was the long-term President of the Southeast Asia Art Association, Vice-President of Singapore Art Society, Honorary Director of Theng Hai Huay Kuan, and judge for Western painting in many editions of the National Day Art Exhibition.

This oil painting resembles the style of another internationally acclaimed master Lee Man Fong. The pigeons are realistically portrayed, in terms of the handling of light and attention to details. However, the background does not adhere to oil painting’s conventional fixed-point perspective in showing distant sceneries. Instead, Choo depicts an ambiguous mist-filled background, more reminiscent of the moving-perspective seen in traditional ink paintings. This demonstrates Choo’s good understanding of Chinese culture and aesthetics, making him stand out from those who use only Western modern realism in their paintings. This reflects the artist’s own cultural confidence and beliefs.