As Singapore celebrates its 60th year of independence, The Private Museum proudly presents a landmark exhibition that pays tribute not only to a nation’s visual heritage but to the quiet resilience, love, and artistry behind it. The Art of Lee Boon Ngan: Celebrating 60 Years of Singapore through the Love of Chua Mia Tee & Lee Boon Ngan invites audiences to experience a rarely seen dimension of Singapore’s artistic legacy through the eyes and hands of an often-overlooked yet deeply influential figure: Lee Boon Ngan.

While her husband, Chua Mia Tee, is a name synonymous with realist painting and Singapore’s cultural identity, Lee Boon Ngan’s story unfolds in parallel, one of quiet strength, unwavering commitment, and quiet artistic excellence. “In my picture-perfect memory of father and mother, they would be quietly painting in their own corners of the studio at home,” shares Dr Chua Yang, daughter of the couple and representative of the artists’ estate. “Mother preferred natural light and had limited time as she had a household to run. She took a spot near to the window and would paint only when the light was good. Her flowers reflected that… sunlight glistening, morning rays penetrating through their translucent petals.”

Their relationship, both creative and personal, was built on a deep, intuitive bond. “Chua Mia Tee and Lee Boon Ngan married in 1961,” recalls Dr Chua Yang. “Father said there was no proposal, no grand gesture. He and mother had known they were kindred spirits, soulmates for life, so they merely set a date and made decisions on where to stay and start life together.”

Even before their marriage, Chua had been capturing Lee in his works, where he had been painting her portrait and sculpting her likeness. “In the decade before getting married, father had painted mother a few times and made a sculpture of her,” says Dr Chua Yang. “She in turn had followed in the footsteps of her brother and sought to study at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. She especially loved painting still-life and flowers.”

Writer Ms Zou Lu adds, “He had fallen in love with the delicate but stubborn young girl the first time he saw her, and when she grew up, they naturally ended up together, never to separate. He would even ingeniously place her in his artworks as a special marker of sorts.”

This exhibition offers a rare glimpse into their shared life and studio where canvases were filled alongside baby bottles, and brushes moved in rhythm with the everyday sounds of family life. Portraits of their children and grandchildren, tender domestic scenes, and floral studies are presented alongside Chua’s iconic portraits and landscapes, creating a deeply moving portrait of family, nation, and devotion.

This curatorial pairing brings together works from the National Collection, corporate collections, and private family archives, harmonising two voices, one already canonised, and one now finally receiving her due. For Chua, realism was not just a style but also a conviction. In his own words: “An artwork must first strive for truth. Only art that accurately represents and reflects authentic societal realities is true and persuasive. Motivations must uphold goodness. The purpose of the work is to guide viewers to be positive and morally upright. Lastly, art should also possess beauty. Through composition, colour, imagery, and emphasis, the core themes of a work are brought to the fore. Only works of art that have societal and historical values possess artistic values.” Lee Boon Ngan embodied this same ethos in her own quiet way, her flowers not just beautiful, but truthful and deeply felt.

As Singapore reflects on 60 years of independence, The Art of Lee Boon Ngan reminds us that nation-building is not only found in monumental achievements—but also in the silent, consistent acts of love, resilience, and creativity. This exhibition is both about looking back and restoring balance to a shared story. It is a tribute to a life spent painting in the light, to a love that nourished art, and to the enduring power of legacy.

The Art of Lee Boon Ngan: Celebrating 60 Years of Singapore through the Love of Chua Mia Tee & Lee Boon Ngan runs from 10th July to 21st September 2025 at The Private Museum. More information available here