SG · International contemporary art platformOn 16 October 2026, National Gallery Singapore launched Fan Chang Tien: Rhythm of the Southern Brush, the first major exhibition to present a holistic view of one of Singapore’s most influential ink artists. The exhibition is held at the Wu Guanzhong Gallery and will run until 31 January 2027, providing visitors with an in-depth look at Fan Chang Tien’s life, artistic development, and legacy.
The exhibition features more than 80 works and archival materials, including paintings, calligraphy, poetry, and seals. It highlights Fan’s artistic and intellectual pursuits, focusing on how values such as self-cultivation, integrity, and generosity shaped his dedication to art, learning, and community. The exhibition is organised into five thematic sections: Moving South, Nurturing the Self, Rejoicing in the Everyday, Wandering through Nature, and Tending the Garden.
Fan’s artistic journey is traced across Guangdong, Shanghai, Bangkok, and Singapore, illustrating how his experiences in different cultural contexts influenced his artistic practice and identity. The exhibition also explores Fan’s commitment to education, as he nurtured a generation of Singapore artists, including Ling Cher Eng, Nai Swee Leng, Tan Oe Pang, Chen KeZhan, and Chua Ek Kay.
The Nurturing the Self section examines Fan’s commitment to artistic discipline and self-cultivation, with a focus on bamboo, a subject associated with Confucian virtues such as integrity, humility, and resilience. Rejoicing in the Everyday celebrates Fan’s connection to Singapore through paintings of local flora and fauna, including mynahs, sparrows, and ducks, as well as rare depictions of kampong life.
Wandering through Nature presents Fan’s shanshui (landscape) paintings as spaces for contemplation and imaginative escape, rooted in traditional Chinese ink practices. His poetry adds depth to these works, evoking natural elements and expressing respect for nature and harmony between humanity and the environment.
Visitors can also experience a dedicated scholar-artist room, offering insight into the contemplative world of the literati and the practice of self-cultivation. This space includes a stamp station where visitors can create their own compositions using seals inspired by motifs from Fan’s works.
The final section, Tending the Garden, explores Fan’s lifelong commitment to nurturing artists through teaching and community contributions. It features works by his students, including Cultural Medallion recipient Nai Swee Leng, and video interviews with Nai and Tan Oe Pang, providing insights into Fan’s legacy as an educator. The students’ works demonstrate how they built on traditional Chinese ink painting to develop their own artistic approaches.
The exhibition also reflects National Gallery Singapore’s ongoing commitment to deepening understanding of ink art in Singapore and Southeast Asia, highlighting the artists, networks, and exchanges that have shaped its development.
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