“过猶未及、凡事以恰到好处为佳。做人做事须留余地、作画亦是。”
"Going beyond is as flawed as falling short; in all things, hitting the mark with perfect measure is what is best. In conduct and action, one must leave room for leeway, and the same holds true for painting."
Tan Kee Sek (b. 1951, Singapore) is a distinguished Singaporean artist, educator and master seal carver whose contributions have played an important role in preserving, advancing and promoting Chinese ink art, calligraphy and seal carving in Singapore for more than fifty years. A graduate of Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in 1970, he studied under pioneering artists See Hiang To and Chen Chong Swee, whose teachings shaped both his artistic development and his lifelong commitment to traditional Chinese art forms.
In 1971, Tan helped establish the Siaw-Tao Chinese Seal-Carving, Calligraphy and Painting Society, one of Singapore’s most important platforms for the promotion of Chinese visual arts. Over the years, he played a significant role in the Society’s growth, serving as President before later being appointed Honorary President in recognition of his longstanding leadership and contributions to Singapore’s visual arts landscape.
Throughout his career, Tan has built a respected reputation through exhibitions, teaching and cultural exchange activities both locally and internationally. He has participated in numerous exhibitions across Singapore, China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Turkey, and represented Singapore in overseas exchange programmes and exhibitions in cities including Shanghai, Hangzhou, Tokyo, Henan and Hat Yai.
Tan has also held several important solo exhibitions, including 25 Years of Dedicated Pursuit (1994), Wandering Freely: Landscapes by Tan Kee Sek (2003), Ancient Spirit, New Ideas (2013), and Following My Passion for 50 Years (2017), followed by annual exhibitions at the Converge Art Gallery from 2018 onward. In 2005, at the invitation of Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he travelled to Istanbul, Turkey, to present a solo exhibition and conduct live demonstrations of painting, calligraphy and seal carving. These exhibitions reflected the breadth of his practice, bringing together painting, calligraphy and seal carving in a manner that few contemporary artists have sustained over such a long career.
Tan’s artworks are grounded in the traditions of Chinese literati aesthetics while also embodying the spirit of the Singapore Nanyang style. His paintings commonly feature landscapes, lotus subjects, flowers and birds, characterised by expressive brushwork, refined compositions and poetic sensitivity. His calligraphy and seal carvings likewise demonstrate technical precision, scholarship and a distinct artistic identity developed through decades of practice and research.
His achievements have been widely recognised. He received Special Awards at Singapore’s National Day Art Exhibition in 1975 and 1982, and an Art Achievement Award from the Siaw-Tao Chinese Seal-Carving, Calligraphy and Painting Society in 2005. He has also frequently served as a judge, lecturer and demonstrator for exhibitions, seminars and public programmes related to Chinese ink art and seal carving.
Beyond his artistic achievements, Tan has made a lasting contribution significantly to arts education in Singapore. As a long-serving lecturer at NAFA, he has mentored generations of artists while helping to sustain and share the traditions of Chinese ink painting to future practitioners. He currently serves as Advisor to the Lion City Calligraphy and Seal-Carving Society, Permanent Honorary Director of the Korea Seal Carving Association, and Overseas Guest Painter of the Xiling Painting and Calligraphy Academy.
In recognition of his outstanding artistic achievements and lifelong contributions to arts education and Chinese ink culture in Singapore, Tan Kee Sek is conferred the 2026 NAFA Distinguished Alumni Award.