The doyen of modern Singapore art, Liu Kang (who with his wife recently celebrated their diamond-wedding anniversary) counted Muar, Johor as one of his several hometowns. This was the hometown where he grew up, the hometown he left when he went to Shanghai to study at Sin-Hua Academy of Fine Arts, and the hometown he returned to after a four year sojourn in Paris (1928-1932). He moved to Singapore in 1942 and has lived there since.

A great admirer of the works of Paul Gauguin and Vincent Van Gogh in his early years, later he was influenced, though to a lesser extent, by the later works of Henri Matisse. A superb draughtsman, he is a sticker for strong composition, adhering to the Fauvist-Impressionist sensibility throughout his long career spanning over six decades.

Early on Liu Kang was a leading exponent of the 'Nanyang' style of painting that embraced both Western media (oil painting, watercolour) and Chinese ink-and-brush painting. Initially Liu Kang (and his peers) treated tropical subject matters in a manner not unlike that of Gauguin when he travelled to Tahiti. It was not long before the artist crossed the psychological barrier to identify with the landscapes, and the humble folks who peopled them, emotionally and spiritually. When the eye of the traveller was replaced by that of the native, the end results in terms of works produced became less exciting aesthetically, but more gratifying spiritually. However, Liu Kang has lost none of the freshness in perception that distinguished his early works. A 'national treasure' in Singapore, Liu Kang's works are much coveted and sought after by institutional and private collectors alike.

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