Lee Manfong is one of the leading modern artists in the region of Southeast Asia. Born in Guangzhou in 1913, Lee was brought to Singapore by his father when he was three. He received his education and art training there, until 1932 when he moved to Jarkata to pursue his artistic career. In Jarkata, Lee was in contact with Dutch paintings of the 19th and 20th centuries. His trip to Europe and his stay in the Netherlands (for a few years) further polished his painting techniques in the oil medium and brought his art to maturity.
The present catalogue offers a glimpse of the variety of subject matters of Lee's oeuvre, ranging from landscape, portraits and figurative works to paintings of animals in the style of traditional Chinese ink painting. A biography of the artist is provided together with an introduction of the art of Lee Manfong, tracing his development in various periods of his artistic life.