Originally from Malaysia, Mr Chew developed a passion for drawing and painting from a young age. After moving to Singapore, he pursued his artistic career and became actively involved in the local art community. In 2012, he became a full-time professional artist, dedicating himself to painting, teaching, and promoting the art of watercolour. He is a Signature Member of the National Watercolor Society (USA) and served as the former Vice-President of the Singapore Watercolour Society, contributing significantly to the development of watercolour art in Singapore.

Painting outdoors, or en plein air, is at the heart of Mr Chew's artistic journey. He regularly paints on location, carefully observing the effects of light, shadow, colour, and atmosphere before capturing them with confident, expressive brushwork. His favourite subjects include Singapore's heritage districts, traditional shophouses, bustling markets, rural villages, rivers, and scenic landscapes throughout Southeast Asia. Rather than simply recording what he sees, Mr Chew seeks to evoke feelings of nostalgia, belonging, and appreciation for the beauty found in everyday places.

EXHIBITIONS

2012         

- Held first solo exhibition “In Living Colours” at GalerieSogan & Art, Singapore.

2014  

- Held second solo exhibition “Eat • Drink • Paint” at Utterly Art Gallery, Singapore

2016   

- Held third solo exhibition “My Watercolour Story” at ArtSafe Pte Ltd, Singapore

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WORKSHOPS, DEMOS, EDUCATIONAL TALKS & OTHER PROJECTS 

2009 

  • Performed Watercolour painting demo at SWS 40th Annual Exhibition

2011 

  • Performed Watercolour painting demo at Cliftons, Singapore

2011-2012

  • Drawing & Watercolour Painting Workshop for Beginners at NUS Museum, Singapore 

2012 

  • Art Instructor at Mouth & Foot Painting Artists Workshop at Suntec City, Singapore 

  • Performed Watercolour painting demo at first solo exhibition “In Living Colours”

  • Performed Watercolour painting demo at Loy Chye Chuan & Students Watercolour Exhibition 

2012 - 2013 

  • Watercolour Painting Workshops at Galerie Sogan & Art, Singapore

  • Instructor for Urban Sketching workshop at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)

2013 

  • Talk on “History of Watercolours in Singapore” at Affordable Art Fair, Singapore

2013 - 2016 

  • Outdoor / Plein Air Watercolour Painting Workshops for school art teachers held in April & October, at Singapore Teachers’ Academy for the aRts (STAR) 

2013 - 2014 

  • Supplied framed watercolour paintings to Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) as overseas trip gifts

2014 

  • Participated in “Re-Interpretation” International Watercolour Exhibition 2014, Suzhou, China.

  • Participated in “National Day Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition 2014”, Singapore.

  • Participated in “Langkawi Art Biennale 2014”, Langkawi, Malaysia

  • Panel of judges for “Tampines Celebrates SG50 Art Competition”, Singapore

  • Watercolour painting demo at Affordable Art Fair Singapore

  • Watercolour painting demo and workshop at “World Art Convention”, Kuching, Malaysia

  • Watercolour painting commissioned by Port Authority of Singapore (PSA) 

2015 

  • Participated in Singapore Art Society’s 65th Anniversary Art Exhibition, Singapore

  • Selected and participated as one of the 50 artists in “A Brush with Singapore Art Society”, at Raffles City, Singapore

  • Juried into the 38th International Exhibition of Watercolour Art Society-Houston (WAS-H), USA.

  • Juried into 2015 Watercolour Missouri International Exhibition, USA

  • Juried into the 45th Louisiana Watercolour Society (LWS) International Exhibition, USA 

  • Painted 6 acrylic artworks for Radin Mas Comminunity Centre SG50 Celebration Project

  • ‘Live’ watercolour painting to accompany classical music concert “Parisian Chevaliers” by Tee Khoon Tang and Elias Reyes

2015-2016 

  • Watercolour painting demo/ workshop at “Tanjong Goodman” Open Studio at Goodman Arts Centre, Singapore

2016 

  • Participated and painted on a street piano for the Singapore edition of “Play Me I’m Yours” 

GROUP EXHIBITIONS, AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

2003

  • Merit Award: Project Search, Discover South East Painting Competition, Singapore

2004–2015

  • Participated in SWS 35th to 46th Annual Exhibitions, Singapore

2005

  • Juried into the 28th International Exhibition of Watercolour Art Society-Houston (WAS-H), USA

  • Participated in the 17th Asia International Watercolour 2005, Singapore

2006 & 2008

  • Participated in the Singapore Chinese Cultural Festival Grand Art Exhibition, Singapore

2006

  • Participated in Penang-Singapore Watercolour Exhibition 2006 in Penang, Malaysia

2007

  • Participated in Sarawak Cultural Arts & Craft Festival 2007 in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

2008

  • Participated in Telok Kurau Studios - Commemorating A Decade Exhibition, Singapore

  • Participated in Folk Art Forum exhibition held in conjunction with Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

  • Telok Kurau Studios Annual Exhibition 2008 - Mountains As Non-Mountain, Singapore

2009

  • Participated in Singapore Art Show 2009, “The Call of Tradition”, Black Earth Art Museum, Singapore 

  • Participated in Singapore Hainanese Association Art Exhibition 2009, Singapore

2010

  • Participated in National Day Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition 2010, Singapore.

  • Juried into the National Watercolour Society 90th international Annual Exhibition 2010, USA

2011

  • Participated in Tiong Bahru Revisited Exhibition, White Canvas Gallery, Singapore

  • Participated in the first group exhibition of Urban Sketchers Singapore (USk-SG) and its book launch at URA Centre, Singapore

2012         

  • Participated in Mini Paintings Exhibition organised by Federation of Art Societies, Singapore

  • Participated in $uper $ingapore $ale Art Exhibition at ION Orchard Gallery, Singapore

  • Participated in “Our Journey” Watercolour Exhibition with Loy Chye Chuan & Students, Singapore

2013

  • Juried into the 36th International Exhibition of Watercolour Art Society-Houston (WAS-H), USA

  • Juried into and won the “Christopher J. Doré Memorial Award” - 43rd Louisiana Watercolour Society (LWS) International Exhibition, USA

  • Participated in “Unity-In-Diversity” 7-man Group Exhibition, National Library Board, Singapore.

  • Participated in “Artist’s Favourite II” Group Exhibition, Penang State Museum, Malaysia

  • Represented Singapore in “China-ASEAN Youth Artists Exchange & Workshop” in Beijing, China

  • Six artworks permanently collected by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China

2014

  • Participated in “A Changed World” exhibition jointly organised by Urban Sketchers Singapore and National Museum of Singapore

  • Juried into the 37th International Exhibition of Watercolour Art Society-Houston (WAS-H), USA

  • Participated in “Re-Interpretation” International Watercolour Exhibition 2014, Suzhou, China

  • Participated in “National Day Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition 2014”, Singapore

  • Participated in “Langkawi Art Biennale 2014”, Langkawi, Malaysia

  • Participated in “World Hainanese Art and Calligraphy Exhibition”, Singapore

2015

  • Participated in Singapore Art Society’s 65th Anniversary Art Exhibition, Singapore

  • Selected and Participated as one of the 50 artists in “A Brush with Singapore Art Society”, at Raffles City, Singapore

  • Juried into the 38th International Exhibition of Watercolour Art Society-Houston (WAS-H), USA

  • Juried into 2015 Watercolour Missouri International Exhibition, USA

  • Juried into the 45th Louisiana Watercolour Society (LWS) International Exhibition, USA

  • Participated in World Artists Alliance Art Exhibition in Penang, Malaysia and Hualien, Taiwan

  • Participated in “National Day Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition 2015”, Singapore

  • Juried into the National Watercolour Society 95th International Annual Exhibition 2015, USA

  • Participated in Dr Tan Tsze Chor Art Exhibition, organised by Singapore Art Society

  • Participated in “50 Cultural Landscapes of Singapore” Watercolour Exhibition by jointly hosted by Lianhe Zaobao and SWS in conjunction with Singapore’s SG50 jubilee celebration

  • Participated in “A Journey to Hue” Watercolour painting tour and exhibition organised by Thua Thien Hue Fine Arts Association and Fine Arts museum of Hue City, Vietnam

2016 

  • Participated in the National Watercolour Society Invitational Plein Air Painting Exhibition to be held Muckenthaler Cultural Centre, Los Angeles, USA

  • Participated in the International Festival of Watercolour Artists for the 234th anniversary of Rattanakosin (Bangkok), Thailand

  • Participated in “Memoirs of City Port Scenes” exhibition jointly organised by Maritime Port Authority and Singapore Watercolour Society, held at Visual Arts Centre, Singapore

ABOUT ARTIST

Marvin Chew

Marvin Chew (周佑任, born 1975) is a professional watercolour artist based in Singapore, widely recognised for his vibrant plein air paintings and expressive depictions of landscapes, urban streets, and everyday life in Southeast Asia. Working primarily in a semi-realistic and Impressionist style, Mr Chew combines transparent watercolours with bold, spontaneous brushstrokes inspired by the energy and rhythm of Chinese calligraphy. His paintings are admired for their luminous colours, strong sense of atmosphere, and ability to transform ordinary scenes into memorable works of art.

Mr Chew's artistic achievements have earned international recognition. His paintings have been accepted into the National Watercolor Society's International Open Exhibition in the United States on multiple occasions, leading to his Signature Membership in 2021. He has also participated in the prestigious International Watercolour Masters exhibitions in the United Kingdom and has held numerous solo exhibitions in Singapore, including In Living Colours, Eat • Drink • Paint, My Watercolour Story, Impressions of Three Islands, and Moments. Since 2021, he has also served as a Brand Ambassador for Royal Talens, reflecting his standing within the international watercolour community.

Today, Mr Chew continues to paint, exhibit, and conduct workshops both in Singapore and internationally. Through his expressive watercolours, he celebrates the charm of everyday life, encouraging viewers to rediscover the beauty of familiar streets, historic buildings, and natural landscapes. His lifelong dedication to plein air painting and watercolour has established him as one of Singapore's respected contemporary watercolour artists.