Born in Singapore in 1937, Mr Tan received his formal art education under the guidance of respected Singapore artist Yap Chi Wei, whose influence can be seen in his expressive use of colour and emphasis on artistic interpretation rather than strict realism. Throughout his career, Mr Tan balanced his passion for painting with a commitment to art education. From 1961 to 1970, he taught at Nan Chiau High School, and from 1971 until his retirement in 1997, he served as an art teacher and later Head of the Art Department at Nanyang Girls' High School. His dedication inspired generations of young artists while allowing him to continue developing his own artistic practice.

Landscape painting became the defining focus of Mr Tan's artistic journey. He travelled extensively throughout Singapore, Southeast Asia, China, Europe, Nepal, and many other countries, sketching and photographing scenic locations before transforming his observations into expressive oil paintings. Rather than reproducing landscapes exactly as they appeared, Mr Tan blended memory, imagination, and emotion to create compositions that conveyed the spirit and atmosphere of each place. He believed that true beauty lies between reality and artistic interpretation, allowing him to create works that feel both familiar and dreamlike.

EXHIBITIONS

GROUP EXHIBITIONS 

1960-70         

• Singapore Art Society Annual Art Exhibition, ASEAN Countries

1971              

• Scenes of South-East Asia/India/Nepal Exhibition, Victoria Memorial Hall, Singapore

1978-93         

• Singapore Teachers' Art Society Annual Art Exhibition, Singapore

1987               

• Art Teacher's Tour, Europe

1987-88         

• Senior Citizen Painting Exhibition, Teo Chew Piot Ip Huay Kuan, Singapore

• Participated in art exhibitions locally and overseas

1989               

• View of Nepal Exhibition, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore

1991              

• Visions of Yunnan & Turkey Exhibition, Nanyang Academy Fine Art Gallery, Singapore

1992               

• National Kidney Foundation Art Exhibition,            

•  National  Art Museum Gallery, Singapore

• Singapore Art Fair, IMM Hall, Singapore

• Scenes of Beautiful China Exhibition, Hunan Province, China

2003

• GAM exhibition in Nagoya

2016

• ArtSafe Pte Ltd, Singapore
  

AWARDS

• Award by the Ministry of Arts and Culture (1968)

• Award by Japanese Modern Art Association (2002)

• Award at GAM exhibition, Nagoya (2003)

ABOUT ARTIST

Tan Choo Kai

(1937-2021)

Mr Tan worked primarily in oil on canvas, using both brushes and palette knives to build rich textures and vibrant layers of colour. His paintings are recognised for their bold, energetic strokes and harmonious colour palettes, which give mountains, forests, rivers, villages, and countryside scenes a sense of movement and vitality. Although influenced by Expressionism, his style remained uniquely his own, balancing abstraction with recognisable forms. Nature was his greatest inspiration, and he described his paintings as expressions of his admiration and love for the natural world.

Over his long career, Mr Tan participated in numerous exhibitions in Singapore and overseas, including shows in Japan, China, and other countries. His artworks received several awards, including recognition from the Ministry of Culture in 1968, the Japanese Modern Art Association in 2002, and the GAM Exhibition in Nagoya in 2003. Even after retiring from teaching, Mr Tan remained an active painter, continuing to travel, sketch, and exhibit his works until the final years of his life.

Today, Mr Tan is remembered as one of Singapore's most respected landscape artists and educators. Through his vibrant paintings and lifelong dedication to art, he celebrated the beauty of nature while inspiring future generations to observe the world with creativity, sensitivity, and imagination.