Epic Poem of Malaya

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. Chua's '�Epic Poem of Malaya'� embodies and evokes the desire to inculcate Malayan nationalism in the younger generation. A group of students listen intently, transfixed by their leader who is reading nationalistic poems about Malaya. The hint of light in the dark clouds signals better days to come with the achievement of independence.