Tung Yue Nang, born 1959 in Singapore, is a strong advocate and practitioner of the Chinese philosophy of Tao Te Ching (“Classic Way of the Power”). This is evident in his paintings where he uses the Tao way to showcase harmony and tranquility in his “Peranakan” and “One” series of paintings, and also in his “Paper Music” series of collage work.
Tung was taught in Chinese painting and calligraphy when he was 15 years old. Today, he continues to exploit the traditional Chinese art form of Yin (“Negative”) and Yang (“Positive”) to showcase the balance of life in his artwork. Tung is also equally fascinated with Western art concepts and media, especially that of abstract representation, and this interest eventually evolved into a successful fusion of both the Chinese and Western concepts as seen in his “One” series of paintings.
Tung has a deep-rooted fascination with and interest in the Peranakan culture. He allows this to transcend to his artwork with photographic paintings of paraphernalia common to this culture. Tung loves colour, especially red. It is therefore not surprising that he uses this auspicious colour abundantly to depict the goodness of life.
Through the years, Tung has received many recognitions and awards from his peers and the art institutions for his contribution to the art. He has exhibited his works internationally and continues to travel widely to seek inspiration and spiritual nourishment in his journey of life and art.