Loy Chye Chuan, born in 1940, is an established second generation watercolour artist in Singapore and is one of the founding members of the Singapore Watercolour Society.

He is a self-taught artist with no formal training.  He devotes his time at an art studio at Telok Kurau and participates in art exhibits around the island.

“Painting is my hobby.  I have not had the opportunity of formal training in fine art.  To fulfil my ideal, I had no choice but to grope alone in the dark, such experience can only be understood by others who have gone through the same search.

In 1959, I had the opportunity of getting acquainted with Mr. Lim Cheng Hoe, a self-made watercolour painter from the first-generation Singaporean artists.  His achievement prompted my decision to make a foray into the world of art.  Boldly I strode our set off on a blind-man’s journey into painting, which became my life-long engagement.  My eye-sight was sadly affected because of long hours spent painting under sunlight, and I was forced to give up the brush and take to the business world in 1974.  But because of a lack of business acumen, I returned to painting in 1982.

My experiences told me that the pursuit of cultivating essential painting techniques is a long and rugged path, a touchstone of patience and perseverance as well as the alchemy smelting furnace of moral character.

After four decades of explorations, studies and hard-work, I have gone through much trials and tribulations and despite the fact that it took me long to grasp the secret of the art, I have gained much in the way of profundity of painting and life philosophy. This I regard as my greatest fruition and joy.”