Artist Biography

Hailing from Kuching, the late Kueh Chai Phiaw was a dedicated classical Chinese ink artist equipped with arguably one of the most rigid Chinese ink art foundations in the local art scene. In 1962, Kueh studied fine arts at the Taiwan Normal University, where he was directly taught under important art masters including Huang Junbi, Lin Yushan, Pu Xinyu, Liao Jichun and Ma Baishui. As such, his artworks inherited the masters’ style and demeanour underpinned by profound traditional drawing fundamentals and compositions. Upon returning to Malaysia, he committed himself to both artistic creation and art education. In 2008, he was recognised as “The First-Generation Artists in Sarawak” by the state government. In 2015, his solo Chinese ink exhibition was held at Younie Gallery, Kuala Lumpur. In 2017, an exhibition in memory of him was held at Boonia Art Gallery, Kuching.