Mountains have long been powerful symbols in both art and asian culture. They represent not only physical grandeur but also inner peace, endurance and spiritual ascent. In traditional Chinese painting, mountains are also a philosophical landscape and space where the free human spirit is able to reflect, find refuge and be in harmony with the cosmos. 

“Mountains and Beyond” brings together over 20 works that range from delicate ink renderings on paper to expressive oils on canvas by both Singaporean and Chinese artists including Chua Ek Kay, Fu Qiang, Hong Ling, Khew Chwee Mun, Lim Tze Peng, Lim Choon Jin, Liu Xuan Qi, Pan Wang Sen, Pan Zhen, Song Meng, Tan Oe Pang, Terence Teo, Thomas Yeo, Wan Soon Kam and Xu Dong Lin. It looks to explore the enduing presence of mountain across time, mediums and artistic sensibility. Each artists interprets the mountain not just as geography, but as a metaphor for transcendence and solitude.

This exhibition invites art lovers to have a slow walk, to contemplate how mountains can contain so many different textures of human experience. Whether representational or abstract, silent or burgeoning, the mountains in each painting offers a path - to culture, to nature and to the inner self. 

自古以来，描绘山川之形的画作再现自然界中的美，和谐与壮观。它们也是创作者与观赏者的精神寄托，是两者修身养性，寄托情感的优美渠道。《山水之旅》展览集结了来自新加坡与中国艺术家——蔡逸溪，傅强，洪凌，邱瑞满，林子平，刘轩齐，潘望森，潘真，宋梦，陈有炳，赵振强，姚照宏，王春鑫与徐东林的二十余件作品，透过水墨、油画等多样媒介，呈现艺术家们对山水这意象的不同诠释。这些作品有的抽象，有的写实，有的沉静，有的气势磅礴。它们不仅描绘自然景致，更展现多种意涵如记忆，灵性，超越自我等。我们诚邀观众放慢脚步，在这些画作中缓缓行走，感受山水，让它成为我们内在情感的寄托与映照。

Chen chong swee 陈宗瑞

Born in Guangdong, China, he moved to Malaya and later Singapore in the early 1930s. He taught art at various schools, including Chung Cheng High School and Chinese High School, and later became the head of Chinese painting at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in the 1950s.

Throughout his life, Mr Chen created many artworks that showed scenes of everyday life, such as villages, farmers, mountains, and nature. He combined traditional Chinese painting techniques with ideas and styles from Western art to reflect life in Southeast Asia. Beyond painting, he also wrote about art and was a strong supporter of building a national art gallery so that more people in Singapore could access and enjoy art.

Chua Ek Kay 蔡逸溪

Before pursuing art full-time in 1985, Chua Ek Kay worked in various fields, including running a restaurant and managing a factory. Once he dedicated himself to painting, his style became more experimental, merging traditional ink techniques with contemporary ideas. He often painted Singapore’s old shophouses and street scenes, preserving the essence of these disappearing landmarks. Over his career, Chua won several awards, including the Cultural Medallion in 1999, Singapore’s highest honour for artists. His legacy continues to be celebrated, with exhibitions like Chua Ek Kay: After the Rain in 2015 showcasing his lasting impact on Southeast Asian art.

fan chang tien 范昌乾

Fan Chang Tien was a pioneering Chinese ink painter and teacher who helped shape Singapore’s art scene. Born in Guangdong, China, Fan graduated from the Xinhua Academy of Fine Arts in Shanghai in 1928. He later moved to Thailand in 1947 on an official mission, but due to the civil war, he was stranded there. In 1956, at the age of 49, Fan moved to Singapore, where he became an important yet humble figure in the local arts community.

Known for his expressive brushwork and poetic style, Fan was deeply influenced by the Shanghai School of Art. He opened The Pure Orchid Studio (素兰室) in Balestier, where he taught Chinese ink painting to young Singaporeans for free.

foo chee san 符致珊

Foo Chee San was a prominent Singaporean artist and educator, known for his skill in Chinese ink painting. Born in Hainan, China, he moved to Malaya as a child and later studied at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) and in Japan, where he earned degrees in art and education.

A respected educator, Foo played a key role in shaping Singapore’s art scene, holding leadership positions in the Singapore Art Society and the Singapore Art Museum. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal in 1985 and the National Day Award in 1989. Foo’s works were exhibited internationally, and he continued to teach and create art well into his later years. He passed away in 2017, leaving a lasting legacy in Singapore's art community.

This painting by Foo Chee San depicts a winding trail leading up a small hill, bordered by tall, straight trees painted in rich tones of green, brown, and black. Two small figures walk along the quiet path, their destination unknown—perhaps heading home or simply passing through.

Despite the use of darker tones in the trees and landscape, the overall atmosphere is calm and uplifting. The distant sky, with soft orange hues, hints at sunlight and brings a gentle warmth to the scene.

This work reflects a peaceful moment in nature, where the journey feels peaceful and unhurried.

符致珊的这幅画描绘了通向一座小山的一条蜿蜒的小路。路旁是高大笔直的树木，树叶呈现出浓郁的绿、棕、黑色调，交织在一起。两个人影在这条宁静的小路上行走，目的地不明确。也许是回家，亦或只是经过。尽管树木和景色的色调较为深沉，整个画面的氛围依然宁静且令人振奋。远处的天空泛着柔和的橙色，仿佛透出阳光，为画面增添了温暖。这幅作品呈现出的是大自然中的一段宁静时光，旅途显得从容而不急躁。

fu qiang 傅强

Fu Qiang is a Chinese artist celebrated for his landscape, flower, and bird paintings, particularly in the ink and wash style. He graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1996, where he was mentored by well-known artists in Beijing. During his studies, Fu learned the techniques of some of China's leading contemporary artists, which influenced his approach to both calligraphy and painting.

Fu's artworks have been widely recognised in the art world. His pieces have been included in notable collections such as “Selected Works of 96 Chinese Contemporary Calligraphy” and “A Treasure of Calligraphy and Painting by Calligraphy Artists Across the Century”. In 1997, he received the "Trans-Century Artistic Talents" award, and his work was featured in the China Art Museum.

“Way Back Home” captures the rural life in contemporary China. Two farmers, their bodies marked by labor, walk across earth-toned plains with tools over their shoulders, symbolising endurance and connection to the land. Their modest village—its clustered architecture suggesting a tightly-knit rural community. In the background, soft mountains rise, giving the scene a sense of place within the larger natural and cultural landscape. This piece reflects on the rhythms of agrarian life and the quiet transitions between labor and rest, isolation and return.

这幅画描绘了当代中国的乡村生活。两位农民，身躯因劳作而显得疲惫，肩上扛着工具，走过土色的平原，象征着坚韧与与土地的联系。他们朴素的村庄，紧凑的建筑风格暗示着一个紧密的乡村社区。背景中，柔和的山脉耸立，为画面增添了更广阔的自然与文化背景。这幅作品反映了农业生活的节奏，以及劳作与休息、孤独与归属之间的宁静过渡。

hong ling 洪凌

Hong Ling is a renowned Chinese artist famous for his ink and oil paintings of beautiful landscapes. He studied and taught at the prestigious Central Academy of Fine Arts. In the 1990s, he set up a beautiful studio and residence at the picturesque region of Mount Huangshan in southern Anhui Province. Two solo exhibitions of Hong Ling’s paintings were held in Singapore in 1998 and 2004.

In 2016, an art exhibition titled Hong Ling: A Retrospective was held at the School of Oriental and African Studies in the University of London. A catalogue was published in conjunction with the show. The exhibition then travelled to Chester Beatty Library in Dublin followed by the Museum of East Asian Art in Bath.

Khew Chwee Mun 邱瑞满

Khew Chwee Mun a graduate of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, specialising in sketching, oil painting, calligraphy, and portraiture. His work has been exhibited in both local and international art shows. He currently serves as a committee member of the Singapore Art Society.

lim choon jin 林俊能

Lim Choon Jin is a Singaporean artist specialising in Chinese ink painting. He completed his MA in Fine Art at the LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts in 2005, after earning a BA in Visual Art with 1st Class Honours from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University in 2004.

Over the years, Lim has held several solo exhibitions, including “Iridescence” (2013), “Inkimage” (2011), and “Growth • Meaning” (2011). He has also participated in numerous group exhibitions locally and abroad, such as the Asian International Art Exhibition (2006–2013) and The Singapore Art Show (2005, 2007, 2009).

Lim’s artistic achievements have earned him several prestigious awards, including the Highly Commended Award in the UOB Painting of the Year competition (2005) and the RMIT BA (Hons) Dean’s Excellent Award (2004).

In this contemplative landscape by Lim Choon Jin, dark ink washes anchor the foreground, suggesting open plains or earth veiled in shadow. Beyond, distant mountains emerge, dusted with snow and partially obscured by mist. Vast areas of negative space evoke a sense of quiet and stillness, drawing the viewer into a moment suspended between presence and absence. Lim Choon Jin masterfully balances form and emptiness, inviting reflection on nature’s subtle power and the beauty of what is left unsaid.

在林俊能的这幅沉思风景画中，浓重的墨色为前景定下基调，暗示着被阴影笼罩的开阔平原或大地。远处，雪覆盖的山脉隐约可见，被雾霭部分遮掩。广袤的留白区域传递出一种宁静与静谧的感觉，将观者引入一个悬浮于有与无之间的时刻。林俊能巧妙地平衡了形态与空白，邀请人们思考大自然的微妙力量，以及未言之美的深远。

Lim tze peng 林子平

Lim Tze Peng rose to prominence during Singapore's second-generation art movement, capturing the soul of a changing nation through vivid depictions of kampongs, street scenes, and vanishing landscapes. Prolific even in his centenary, Lim’s motto, “keep painting as long as I can hold a brush,” epitomises his indomitable spirit and passion for art.

Lim was conferred the cultural medallion award in 2003. His paintings were showcased at the National Art Museum of China, Beijing in 2009 as well as at the Saatchi Gallery, in London 14 years later. In October 2024, Mr Lim Tze Peng’s paintings were showcased at the National Gallery Singapore. 2 months later Cape of Good Hope Art Gallery organised an exhibition of Mr Lim’s art. For his profound contributions to Singapore’s heritage and visual arts legacy, Mr Lim was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Order (Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang) during Singapore's 2025 National Day Awards.

LIu Xuan qi 刘轩齐

Liu Xuan Qi is a contemporary artist based in Singapore, originally from Zhejiang, China. He graduated in Art & Design from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. After a decade-long career as an art director in design and advertising, Liu transitioned to full-time art practice in 2009. 

His artistic style blends traditional Chinese ink painting with contemporary design principles, often featuring symbolic imagery like the stone lion, which represents personal identity, and clouds, which reflect the ever-changing nature of modern life. 

In 2012, he won the Platinum Award at the UOB Painting of the Year competition for “Wandering Cloud”. Liu has since held several solo exhibitions, including at the UOB Art Gallery in Singapore and in Shanghai, and participated in prestigious international art fairs such as Art Stage Singapore and Art Basel Hong Kong.

In this work, Liu Xuan Qi constructs a symbolically charged exclamation mark using traditional East Asian scholar’s tools. The cinnabar ink paste and seal form a vivid red counterpart, symbolizing sincerity, tradition, and the warm, enduring strength of cultural continuity.

When inverted, the exclamation mark transforms into a lowercase “i”—a potent symbol of identity. It is an inward reflection; from “Who am I becoming?” to the deeper inquiry, “Who am I, truly?”

画⾯中，艺术家以传统⽂房器物构建出⼀个富有象征意义的“感叹号”。其鲜明的红⾊寓意诚意、传统，以及⽂化延续中那份温暖⽽真实的精神⼒量。当这⼀“感叹号”被倒置，它又转化为⼀个⼩写的“i”——⼀个关于“⾃我”（identity）的隐喻性符号。它是对内在⾝份的深层追问；从“我正在成为谁”的流动状态，⾛向“我究竟是谁”的本质叩问。

pan wang sen 潘望森

Pan Wangsen is a renowned Chinese landscape painter and a professor at Anhui University of Education. Born in Anhui, China, he graduated from the China Academy of Art in 1992 and later studied at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. A member of the China Artists Association, Pan is recognised as one of China's Top 100 Fine Artists.

Pan has received multiple national art awards and is the author of several books on Chinese painting techniques. His art has been consistently featured in major exhibitions organised by the China Artists Association and the Ministry of Culture since the 1990s. In 2004, he held a solo exhibition in Hefei titled “New Anhui School of Coloured Landscape”, where he showcased his modern take on traditional landscape painting.

In this tranquil landscape by Pan Wang Sen, the world is hushed beneath a gentle rain. Distant blue mountains melt into the sky, their outlines softened by mist and drifting clouds. A quiet lake mirrors the hush, while far above, a silver thread of waterfall tumbles from unseen heights.

Emerald peaks rise at the painting’s heart, dotted with trees that seem to breathe in the silence. Tucked at the foot of the mountain, a small pavilion shelters a pair of figures—tiny, contemplative, and nearly lost in the vastness of nature.

Pan Wang Sen invites us into a realm where time slows, where the rain falls softly, and where nature exists in serene harmony, untouched and unhurried.

在潘望森的这幅宁静山水画中，整个世界都沉浸在细雨之中。远处的蓝色山脉与天空融为一体，轮廓被雾气和漂浮的云朵柔化。宁静的湖面映照着这片寂静，而远处高空中，一条银色的瀑布从看不见的高处倾泻而下。

翡翠般的山峰在画面中心拔地而起，点缀着几棵树木，仿佛在沉默中呼吸。山脚下，一座小亭子为一对身影遮蔽——微小、沉思，几乎融入了大自然的广袤之中。

潘望森邀请我们进入一个时间缓慢流淌的世界，在这里，雨轻轻落下，大自然以宁静和谐的姿态存在，未曾被打扰，亦不急不躁。

Pan zhen 潘真

Pan Zhen, born in Jiaoxian, Hebei, is a celebrated Chinese landscape artist and a member of the China Artists Association. He began his career in the military, where he worked on art propaganda, and later became a prominent figure at the Hebei Fine Arts Publishing House in 1978.

Many of his works have been exhibited widely in China and abroad. His piece 清风十里展画屏 won an award at the 2004 China Artists Association’s Exhibition.

Pan has held solo exhibitions in Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia. His works have been featured in over 100 art publications, and he has published three collections of his paintings. Highly regarded for his contributions to Chinese art, Pan’s work has been celebrated in reports by Hebei TV, and his dedication to both preserving and innovating traditional Chinese painting continues to influence the art world.

Pan Zhen's painting captures a moment tenderly caught between rain and sunlight.

Nestled beneath the branches of the trees blossoming with turquoise flowers, are quant and humble village homes. You can almost smell the scent of damp wood and flowers mixing in the air, and the faint sounds of life inside — laughter, perhaps, or a child’s footsteps returning home. There is no grandeur here, only peace.

Beyond, the distant mountains rise in soft tones of brown and green. They lend their calm presence to the scene, framing the moment in a larger timelessness. This painting is a tender pause in time when the heart knows it is home.

潘真的画作捕捉了一个温柔的瞬间，恰好介于雨水和阳光之间。

在开满绿松色花朵的树枝下，依偎着朴素的乡村房屋。你几乎能闻到湿木和花香交织在空气中的气息，隐约能听见屋内的生活声——也许是笑声，或是孩子回家的脚步声。这里没有华丽，只有宁静。

远处，山脉在柔和的褐色和绿色调中蜿蜒升起。它们将自己的平静气息融入画面，将这一刻框定在更大的时空背景中。这幅画是时间中的一段温柔停顿，那时心灵知道，自己已经回到了家。

song meng 宋梦

Song Meng is a member of the Singapore Art Society, Society of Chinese Artists and Siew-Tao Chinese Seal Carving Calligraphy and Painting Society.

She was a disciple of the famous artist Che Peng Fei, a master from the Shanghai School Painting. Her paintings are largely inspired by mountains and river paintings from the Tang, Song and Ming dynasties. Song Meng looks to forge an ancient elegance and beauty of traditional Chinese literati in her landscape paintings.

The practice of tea drinking has been present in Asian culture for centuries and is commonly depicted in traditional Chinese ink painting. In this painting by Song Meng, a nicely dressed woman is seen seated with a plainly dressed man while a boy servant holding a fan is seen crouching beside the stone structure with teapots and cups placed on it. One may also notice the touches of blue that highlight the presence of blooming flowers. This small detail hints at the presence of pleasant weather and season most suited for tea drinking.

茶文化在亚洲已经存在了几个世纪，并且常常出现在传统的中国水墨画中。在宋蒙的这幅画作中，一位穿着得体的女性坐着，旁边是一位穿着朴素的男子，旁边的男童仆人蹲在石台旁，手中拿着一把扇子，石台上放着茶壶和茶杯。画面中的蓝色点缀突出了盛开花朵的存在，这一细节暗示着宜人的天气和最适合饮茶的季节。

tan oe pang 陈有炳

Tan Oe Pang is a highly regarded Singaporean ink artist known for his bold and dynamic approach to traditional Chinese ink painting. Trained under the mentorship of Chinese ink master Fan Chang Tien, Tan developed a distinctive style that blends classical Chinese techniques with modern expressions.

Tan’s work has been exhibited globally, with notable showings in the International Biennial of Arts São Paulo (1985), the International Biennial of Arts Valparaiso in Chile (1989), and the International Biennial for Ink Painting in Shenzhen, China (1992). He was also invited by the Beijing Art Institute for a solo exhibition at the China Art Museum in 2001.

Tan has earned numerous prestigious awards throughout his career, including the President Efficiency Award (1975) and the Works of Excellence Award at the Beijing International Ink and Wash Painting Exhibition (1988).

terence teo 赵振强

Paintings by Singaporean artist Terence Teo are inspired by his love for nature.

Terence Teo was awarded the Asian Art Award at the Asia Invitation Art Exhibition in Seoul, Korea in 2013. His paintings have been showcased at various exhibitions such as Art Expo Malaysia 2014, Art Jakarta 2018, Hong Kong’s Fine Art Asia 2022 and Art Central Hong Kong 2022.

Inspired by a journey to Nepal over a decade ago, this painting by Terence Teo captures a quiet lakeside village nestled gently within forested hills. The still waters in the foreground reflect trees, sunlight, and distant rooftops—echoes of a peaceful place untouched by time.

Bathed in soft shades of purple, the landscape feels dreamlike and calm. Mountains rise silently in the distance, watching over the village below. Terence Teo invites us into a space where nature and humanity exist in quiet harmony, held gently within the embrace of light and reflection.

这幅画由赵振强创作，灵感源自十多年前他的一次尼泊尔之行。画作中，一个安静的湖畔村庄温柔地依偎在森林覆盖的山丘间。前景的静水倒映着树木、阳光和远处的屋顶，是一片未被时光打扰的宁静之地。在柔和的紫色调下，画面的景观呈现出梦幻般的宁静。远处的山脉默默耸立，俯视着脚下的村庄。画家邀请我们进入一个自然与人类和谐共生的空间，在光与倒影的怀抱中，感受这份宁静的存在。

thomas yeo 姚照宏

Thomas Yeo graduated form the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1960 and went on to study in London at the Chelsea School of Art and at Hammersmith College of Art & Architecture. After graduation, Thomas Yeo taught at two schools in London.

Yeo was an advisor and judget for the ASEAN Art Awards from 1994 to 2004. For his contributions to the arts, Thomas Yeo was presented with the Cultural Medallion award in 1984. His paintings have been exhibited in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Germany and Denmark.

wan soon kam 王春鑫

Wan Soon Kam is a highly regarded Singaporean artist, known for his serene watercolour and acrylic paintings that capture the beauty of Singapore’s landscapes and rural street scenes.

A graduate of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), Wan initially worked as a book designer and illustrator before deciding to pursue painting full-time in 1976. Since then, he has become one of Singapore’s leading artists, celebrated for evoking a sense of nostalgia and tranquility in his work.

His paintings have earned critical recognition, including an award from the Ministry of Culture in 1977. In 2016, he held a major retrospective exhibition, underscoring his lasting impact on Singapore’s art scene.

In this vertical landscape, Wan Soon Kam guides the viewer from the stillness of a lakeside scene upward into a world of layered beauty. At the base of the painting, delicate plants grow quietly by the water's edge, while birds glide effortlessly across the lake’s calm surface. Along the riverbank, a cluster of modest houses suggests the quiet life of villagers living in harmony with nature. Behind them, trees and forests gently rise, leading the eye toward dramatic mountains that reach to the skies.

A gentle pause of empty space between the forests and the mountains allows the scene to breathe, offering a moment of stillness within the vertical flow. Through this composition, Wan Soon Kam evokes a sense of quiet wonder, where nature, life, and space exist in careful balance.

在这幅竖向山水画中，王春鑫引导观者从湖畔的静谧场景向上进入一个层次分明的美丽世界。画作底部，细腻的植物静静地生长在水边，而鸟儿轻盈地掠过湖面，划破平静。沿着河岸，一群朴素的房屋呈现出与自然和谐共生的村民宁静生活。房屋背后，树木与森林缓缓升起，引导视线向着拔地而起的雄伟山脉延展，直入云霄。

森林与山脉之间的空白空间温柔地停顿，为画面带来了呼吸感，提供了一刻的宁静，融入了竖向流动的节奏。通过这幅作品，王春鑫唤起了一种安静的惊叹。在这幅画中，大自然、生活与空间保持着微妙的平衡。

xu dong lin 徐东林

Xu Dong Lin is a renowned Chinese artist known for his oil paintings and ink works. Born in Jiangxi, China, he graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1987, where he specialised in oil painting.

His works have been collected by prominent institutions, including the China Art Academy, the Museum of Jiangxi Province, and the Taipei Art Gallery, as well as private collectors in the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore.

Xu has also held leadership roles, such as being the former director of the Jiujiang Calligraphy and Painting Institute and the current Vice President of the Jiangxi Artists Association.