Wu Tsai Yen
BORN: 1911
HOMETOWN: FUJIAN PROVINCE, CHINA
LIVED AND WORKED: SINGAPORE
Wu Tsai Yen (b. 1911-2001) studied art at the Xinhua Academy of Fine Arts in Shanghai, China, from 1931 to 1933. His art teachers were renowned artists during his period in the academy. He then moved to Singapore in 1938 and switched from brush painting with Chinese ink to finger painting. This technique, given his expertise in Chinese ink art, helped him create art pieces close to that of brush-painted work, so much so that a non-specialist probably would not be able to tell the difference. Wu went on to master his finger painting skills for nearly 40 years and continued to make masterpieces with Chinese ink art through his finger painting technique. Eventually, he retired to a life of farming and attributed this to his unconditional love towards nature. He also found solace in Tai Chi, trimming bonsai and looking after his pets at home.
Finger painting is not foreign to the Chinese and is even regarded as a lost art in its rich history of culture, as the history of this technique dates back to the Tang Dynasty (BCE. 618-907). The art of finger painting depicts the intimate relationship shared between the canvas and the artist. Wu Tsai Yen does not just stop to capture the moment of his paintings that he models after; he pours his heart and soul into the process of birthing the painting. This is evident in the strokes, choice of colour, and outline of his models. It is refreshing to view the works of an artist who captures the inner beauty of his subjects and not just the outer layer; this adds on to him as a painter who is able to envision and attribute symbolic meanings to his paintings. The pine tree is an exemplary artwork that displays the luscious green needles, with the rich brown branches that support both the pines and the needles. His focus lies in capturing the essence of the Pine tree, using bright hues to bring forth the soul of the tree.
His artworks have been featured in an art exhibition in the Singapore Art Museum in 2004.