The man who painted Lee Kuan Yew – and the wife whom history forgot

Business Times

15 hours ago

[SINGAPORE] Most art lovers recognise the name Chua Mia Tee. The realist painter is beloved for his portraits of founding fathers and working-class heroes – archetypes of the nation-building generation rendered in oil on canvas.
Chua's work has come to define an era of Singapore's visual identity, with scenes of Lee Kuan Yew on the campaign trail, Singapore presidents surrounded by the Cabinet of the day, and young idealists reading poetry as progress unfolds around them.
But few people know that, for much of his career, Chua – who was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2015 – worked just a few metres away from another painter: his wife, Lee Boon Ngan (1939-2017).
She was a talented artist in her own right, a realist who brought delicate floral compositions to life on canvas. Yet, she remained largely unrecognised – overshadowed by her husband's fame, and held back by the demands of domestic life. While Chua painted full-time, she raised their children, cooked their meals and managed the household. Only after the chores were done would she pick up her brushes.
Chua Mia Tee's Singapore Presidents And Their Cabinets (I-V) (1996) is a stunning 3.8 m-long painting depicting the five presidents from Yusof Ishak to Ong Teng Cheong, with the respective Cabinets of the day. PHOTO: PRESIDENT'S OFFICE, ISTANA
The couple's daughter, Dr Chua Yang, an obstetrician and gynaecologist behind a new exhibition to honour both her parents, says: 'She considered herself a wife and mother first, and an artist when she had time.'
The exhibition, The Art of Lee Boon Ngan: Celebrating 60 Years Of Singapore Through The Love Of Chua Mia Tee & Lee Boon Ngan, opens on Jul 10 at The Private Museum in Upper Wilkie Road. Presented as part of the museum's 15th anniversary and SG60 celebrations, the show brings together nearly 50 artworks.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle
Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.
Sign Up
Sign Up
They comprise 15 floral paintings by Lee – some never before seen publicly – alongside a selection of Chua's better-known works, as well as contributions from the next generation of the family.
Lee Boon Ngan's vivid floral paintings showcase her impressive precision and technique. PHOTO: CHUA MIA TEE & THE CHUA FAMILY
The show includes two paintings by Lee's granddaughter, London-based artist Ernestine Chua, and three artistic photographs by Dr Chua, including one of her father on the day he completed his final painting in 2021, just before he suffered a stroke.
Painting beside the nation's painter
Dr Chua says: 'Mother was never as prolific as Father. But she painted throughout her life. She would wait for the right light, position her flowers near the window, and choose the most complicated bouquets – with the tiniest petals and most intricate leaves. It was a challenge she relished.'
Lee Boon Ngan and Chua Mia Tee, a lasting union and legacy. PHOTO: CHUA MIA TEE & THE CHUA FAMILY
In their shared home studio, husband and wife worked mostly in silence. 'There was no chatter. They didn't comment on each other's work until the very end. When a piece was nearly done, it would be brought into the family gallery at home and placed under a spotlight for critique. That's when everyone – including us kids – would weigh in.' (Dr Chua has a brother who is a retired dean of a tertiary institution in Hong Kong.)
Despite his deft executions of landscapes, people and animals, Chua Mia Tee never painted flowers. 'That was Mother's territory,' Dr Chua recalls. 'He always said: 'Your mother is far better at that'.'
Artist Chua Mia Tee putting the finishing touches to a self-portrait, in which he poses with the iconic 1957 painting of his wife, Lee Boon Ngan, as a young girl. PHOTO: DR CHUA YANG
And yet, history remembers him and forgets her.
Part of that, Dr Chua believes, was structural. Her father received government commissions and exhibited widely. His work was aligned with national narratives and institutional platforms. Her mother, on the other hand, painted privately, for herself and her family, without ambition for public acclaim.
Part of it was also choice. 'Mother never sought recognition,' Dr Chua says. 'When collectors came for Father's works and chose hers instead, she was quietly amused… She was content with her life.'
A 1980 portrait of Lee Boon Ngan by Chua Mia Tee, simply titled My Wife, depicts her at work, surrounded by her floral paintings. PHOTO: CHUA MIA TEE & THE CHUA FAMILY
That didn't mean her daughter wasn't frustrated. 'For years after her death, I was indignant,' she admits. 'She was always in the shadow. I felt she deserved so much more. But I've come to realise that these were my expectations, not hers. She was proud of every meal she cooked for us. She was happy.'
In recent years, Dr Chua has taken on the responsibility of preserving both her parents' legacies. In 2024, she launched her second book, Women Inspiring Women: The National Edition, at The Private Museum. As conversations turned toward her parents' art, the idea for an exhibition took root.
Chua Mia Tee often included Lee Boon Ngan in his paintings, such as this work titled Stone Boat Of Summer Palace, Beijing (1985). PHOTO: CHUA MIA TEE & THE CHUA FAMILY
A story told in two styles
The result is a contemplative and moving exhibition that places Chua's grand portraits of statesmen and civic scenes alongside Lee's luminous florals. Each speaks to a different kind of devotion – one directed outward to nation-building, the other, inward toward the beauty of everyday life.
'In many ways, she was painting her self-portrait,' Dr Chua says. 'The brilliance of the flowers symbolised the vibrancy of her spirit. When Father painted her, he was capturing her beauty. When she painted flowers, she was capturing herself.'
Lee Boon Ngan's tender paintings of flowers celebrate the overlooked and the everyday – in contrast to her husband's paintings of nation-building efforts. PHOTO: CHUA MIA TEE & THE CHUA FAMILY
The exhibition also includes family portraits of children and grandchildren, and intimate glimpses into the couple's home and studio. Many works were drawn from the family estate, and others, on loan from institutions such as the Istana and the National Heritage Board.
Though many visitors may come for Chua's portraits of Singapore leaders, they may leave with a deeper appreciation for the domestic, the feminine, and the quieter forms of artistic expression. In a society that often prioritises progress over presence, public achievement over personal duties, Lee's work asks the viewer to rethink these binaries.
Nation and home, public and private, leaders and lovers, husbands and wives – they're all part of the same story.
Dr Chua Yang, with a portrait of her parents painted by her father, Chua Mia Tee. PHOTO: CHUA MIA TEE & THE CHUA FAMILY
The Art Of Lee Boon Ngan: Celebrating 60 Years Of Singapore Through The Love Of Chua Mia Tee & Lee Boon Ngan runs at The Private Museum (11, Upper Wilkie Road), from Jul 10 to Sep 21.