Chen Yi Quan (1982–2026) was a self-taught artist, known for his abstract surrealist paintings that hybridised the Nanyang style, European art and the cubist tradition.

 

Chen studied at Maris Stella and Hwa Chong Junior College before earning a psychology degree from the National University of Singapore. He worked in social work and the corporate sector for 10 years before pursuing art full-time.

 

His interest in painting was first piqued by the Nanyang style painters; the Balinese Barong, by Singaporean artist, Cheong Soo Pieng. This led to the exploration of the works of European painters together with classical and modern Chinese paintings. His work, which often featured bold colors and long strokes, focused on themes of spiritual, emotional, and social spaces. This eye on the hybridisation of forms, pluralism, and the pursuit of relatability with the viewer ultimately showed up in the use of Chinese ink, perhaps functioning as a conduit for his questions on ethnicity, identity, and aesthetics in post-Lee Kuan Yew Singapore.

 

He participated in various exhibitions and held his first solo exhibition, “World on Hallucinations” in 2021. Featuring works based around neoteric visuals set in an idiosyncratic realm between art and spirituality – a world on hallucinations.