Choy Moo Kheong

Biography

Born in Singapore in 1950, Choy Moo Kheong is a self-taught artist who is inspired by the romanticism of nature.  He expresses his deep love for nature from his heart and his paintings are creative expressions of that passion for the lands he has visited. He does not paint merely from being inspired by the land, rather, he paints inwardly; painting his own interpretation and perspective of the world. Choy loves quiet, empty spaces that bespeak solitude and peace. He believes that sometimes people hold memories of places they visit and a lot of the emotions they experience are deeply personal and tend to be appreciated in silence. Thus, his paintings represent the “tangible that speaks of the vastness of silent words.”

His journey started when he left his job in Singapore, and with S$900 in his pocket, ventured out to Thailand and then to India where he joined an ashram. There, amidst austere, monastic surroundings, he learnt yoga, studied spiritual philosophy and meditation. The following four years saw him traveling as a missionary for his ashram, with active involvement in teaching yoga philosophy and fund-raising for social projects and his own livelihood.

However at the age of 28, something stirred within him and he realized spiritual teaching was not his destiny. Choosing his own path, he returned to Singapore in 1979 to teach himself how to paint. For Choy, painting is what he enjoys doing the most and he marks this journey as, “To realize what I want to do is the easy part, but figuring how I am going to do it, is uncertain and unknown without a job or money”. Combining his innate talent and creativity and determination, he succeeded despite the odds, strengthened by his earlier struggles abroad. He held on to his dreams and clung on to his resolve to persevere, and was rewarded when his works begun to be accepted and exhibited.

Since then, his work has been exhibited in France, Switzerland, Brunei, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. Besides attracting international and local private collectors, his work has also been collected by many private organizations such as the National Bank of Abu Dhabi, the Canadian High Commissioner, Glaxo Holdings in London, the New York Institute of Finance in Singapore, the Sultan of Brunei, JP Morgan Singapore and the Gulf International Bank.

His works range from photo-realistic drawings of vast skies to surreal pieces that break the conventions of traditional perspective. All his works retain a dream-like quality to them and are devoid of buildings or human forms. He prefers it that way as he is the most comfortable amidst nature’s embrace. Choy feels that the land, water, trees, skies and rivers all imbue humanity with purpose, meaning and joy; reminding each and every one of us that we are truly alive.


Selected Exhibitions
1985 Salon Des Artistes Francais in Paris, France
1986 Solo exhibition – Singapore Festival of Arts by Lone Pine Gallery
1989 5th solo exhibition – Gallerie Du Vieux-chene in Geneva, Switzerland
1990 6th solo exhibition – Oriental Hotel by Gallery of Fine Art
1993 7th solo exhibition – Hilton Hotel by Notices Gallery, Singapore
1990 Singapore Artists Speak Exhibition, National Museum,
1993 Singapore – Places, Poems, Paintings, National Museum, Singapore
1994 Empress Place Museum, Mount Elizabeth Hospital for disabled children
1995 Phillip Morris Singapore Art Awards, Takashimaya Gallery
1997 Modern Art Society, 33rd Anniversary Exhibition
1998 Second Nature Cityscape of Singapore, Hong Kong