潘金海早年向钟正山习画。1972年自毕业于马来西亚艺术学院后,于1980年代前往香港师从著名岭南派大师杨善深学习岭南派水墨技法,随后回国投身推动及深入探讨岭南派绘画。他后来钟情于蜡染,将蜡染技术与水墨合二为一,作品拥有强烈的岭南画派风格,色彩鲜艳但不张扬,秉承粗中有细、细中有粗的绘画原则。他不仅是马来西亚岭南画派的代表之一,亦被誉为第三代南洋画家。
作品曾展出于马来西亚、美国、中国、澳洲、日本、韩国、台湾、新加坡、印尼等地,并在日本绘画廊、马来西亚创价学会、吉隆坡连城画廊、雪隆精武画廊、佛光山美术馆及吉隆坡颜丽轩画廊举办个人画展。曾获加拿大海外中国书画研究协会枫叶奖、中国海南省国际水墨大赛银奖及日本全日美展蓝绶奖。作品被马来西亚国家美术馆、中国桂林博物馆、澳华博物馆、韩国印文化艺术馆、台湾省立美术馆及日本中国水墨画协会等机构收藏。2014年,作品于北京保利拍卖成功成交。现任马来西亚岭南画会会长、纽约国际华人艺术协会顾问及澳洲岭南画会顾问。

Graduating from the Malaysian Institute of Art in 1972, Puah Kim Hai was taught by Chung Chen Sun and Lingnan master Yang Shanshen in Hong Kong (1980). Infatuated with batik, he ingeniously merged its allure with ink painting, giving rise to a unique style characterized by vibrant colors infused with local culture. Puah holds multiple positions, including President of the Malaysian Lingnan Art Society. His accolades include the Silver Prize in the 1992 International Shui Mo Art Competition and the Excellent Prize from the Overseas Chinese Art and Calligraphy Studies Association. His work was successfully sold at Beijing Poly in 2014, one of China's largest auction houses. Puah's work is collected by National Art Gallery Malaysia, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, and Guilin Museum, China.