Chang Kwang Wee
BORN: 1936
HOMETOWN: CHAO’AN, GUANGDONG PROVINCE, CHINA
LIVES AND WORKS: SINGAPORE
When Chang Kwang Wee was ten years old, he followed his mother to his father’s business island in Giri, Indonesia, where he completed his primary school education. At the age of thirteen, he arrived in Singapore to study at Zhongzheng School. Upon graduating from high school, he entered ‘’The Teacher Training College’’ and trained himself to become a qualified teacher. From 1993 to 2003, he served as the president of the Moyuan Society for ten years, and in 1994, he organised the Lion City Calligraphy Engraving Society with his fellow students. Even after retiring in 1996, he retained his primary occupation as a calligraphy teacher.
Chang’s artistic caliber is anchored to calligraphy. Self-taught, he learned and practiced the Wei Bei Calligraphy font daily since his primary school days through self-discipline and continuous learning. He gradually formed his own font and style with Confucian influences, which can be seen in the smooth, rich, and elegant strokes of his paintings and the words he chooses to use.
Some of his works were featured in a joint exhibition at the Chui Huay Lim Club in 2014, showcasing mainly Chinese paintings from Singapore Teochew art collectors.