Nanyang Style,

refers to the use of a mix of styles and techniques from Chinese pictorial traditions and the School of Paris, which was practised by a group of artists who featured prominently within the local cultural scene in the years after the end of the Second World War.

• Nanyang artists painted outdoors to capture everyday existences.
• Colours were quite subjectively used, and symbols were adopted.
• In addition, the artists' brushworks were executed with the skill of traditional Chinese painting.

The artists were also striving to represent the region’s culture and lifestyle– the word “南洋”(nanyang) means "Southern Seas" in Chinese, and referred to the entire South China Sea region. 

The Pioneer Nanyang Artists

Lim Hak Tai (NAFA’s first principal), Cheong Soo Pieng, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi, Liu Kang and Georgette Chen.

Four stand out from these, for their growth as artists was spurred tremendously by their trip to Bali in 1952.

These painters are Cheong Soo Pieng, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi and Liu Kang.

The artists were struck by the exoticism of Bali, and having gained inspiration from the bright colours, sights and sounds of Bali.

All four were graduates of Shanghai’s Xin HuaAcademy of Fine Arts, all taught at NAFA at some point, and all had exposure to the varied French schools of art– whether through self-exploration by living in European cities for periods at a time, or via art journals and communication with European artists based in Southeast Asia. 

LIU KANG 1911 - 2004

After graduating from Shanghai Xinhua Arts Academy in 1928, Liu left for Paris. It is during his five-year stay there that he established his personal style - an integration of Western and Chinese arts.

"I paint with Western painting material and tools, but my style and substance are Chinese, and the realm of my paintings is typically Oriental," says Liu.

Scenes of tropical life are a repeated theme in his paintings.

 Due to this, he is considered the founder of "Nanyang," or Southern Sea, style. He gives his own interpretation of the genre. 

Liu Kang

Life by the River

1975

Oil on canvas

Life by the River, a 1975 work, shows a viIlage scene with busy human activity.

Liu Kang is a master of composition. Depth in this painting is achieved more by the arrangement of shapes than by perspective, suggesting a pictorial sensitivity more in tune with the Chinese landscape tradition.

The yellow walkway on the left and the river on the right not only echo each other, but also lead the viewer's attention to the houses in the distance.

Temple Doonsay (1951)Size: 84 x 124cmMedium: Oil on canvasCollection: Private Collection.

Breakfast

Liu Kang.     

Year: 1932.  

Medium: Oil on canvas.  

Size: 44.5 x 53 cm. 

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