Snake Charmer

Born in China, Chua Mia Tee (1931) migrated to Singapore in 1937. A graduate from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1957, Chua is a highly regarded master of portrait painting. Chua has painted portraitures of prominent public figures, including presidents and prime ministers of Singapore. Besides portraitures, Chua also paints nationalistic and local scenes of Singapore, which serve as historical documentations of the nation's changing landscape. This painting shows an Indian street performer outside Shaw Centre. Apart from documenting a disappearing trade, Chua also captures a sense of displacement, where the traditional snake charmer seems out of place against a modern backdrop. A departure from his usually well-illuminated works, the monochromatic background of this painting heightens the sense of melancholy of the lone figure.