top of page

Marvin Chew nws

Watercolour Artist

Royal Talens Logo_edited.jpg

Ambassador

Marvin is a professional watercolour artist, a Signature Member of National Watercolor Society (NWS), and former Vice-President of the Singapore Watercolor Society, who usually paint in semi-realistic, impressionist style, using transparent watercolors that highlight the play of lights and shades, using spontaneous, bold brushstrokes which imbues the energy of Chinese calligraphy in his works.   

 

He paints on location regularly and his favourite subjects are landscapes, urban scenes and lifestyles of the locals. He likes transferring mundane scenes, into impressionistic works of art with the emphasis of evoking a sense of nostalgia and belonging in the viewers. 

 

Plein air painting offers him the opportunities to observe his painting subjects more closely and intimately, to study their shapes and forms, their relationship and effects with lights and shades, which are then communicated and depicted through his deft brushstrokes in his colourful and brilliantly executed watercolours. 

 

 

FB_IMG_1702893845866_edited.jpg
IMG-20231028-WA0010(1)_edited.jpg

Solo Exhibition

 

2012              Held 1st solo exhibition “In Living Colours” at Galerie Sogan & Art, Singapore

2014              Held 2nd solo exhibition “Eat • Drink • Paint” at Utterly Art Gallery, Singapore

2016              Held 3rd solo exhibition "My Watercolour Story" and launch of art book of the same name at ArtSafe Exhibition Hall, Singapore

2018              Held 4th solo exhibition "Impressions of Three Islands" at ArtSafe Exhibition Hall, Singapore

2020              First Virtual Exhibition "Points of View - A Virtual Exhibition of Watercolours by Marvin Chew", supoorted by National Arts Council, Singapore

2023              Held 5th solo exhibition "Moments" at ArtPlus/ Cape of Good Hope Art Gallery, Singapore

 

Selected Group Shows, Awards and Other Achievements

 

2003              Merit Award - Project Search, Discover South East Painting Competition, Singapore

2004 – 23     Participated in SWS 35th to 54th Annual Exhibitions, Singapore

2005              Juried into the 28th International Exhibition of Watercolor Art Society-Houston (WAS-H), USA

2005              Participated in the 17th Asia International Watercolour 2005, Singapore

2006 & 08    Participated in the Singapore Chinese Cultural Festival Grand Art Exhibition, Singapore

2006              Participated in Penang-Singapore Watercolour Exhibition 2006 in Penang, Malaysia

2007              Participated in Sarawak Cultural Arts & Craft Festival 2007 in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

2008              Participated in Telok Kurau Studios - Commemorating A Decade Exhibition, Singapore

2008              Participated in Folk Art Forum exhibition held in conjunction with Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

2008              Telok Kurau Studios Annual Exhibition 2008 - Mountains As Non-Mountain, Singapore

2009              Participated in Singapore Art Show 2009, “The Call of Tradition”, Black Earth Art Museum

2009              Participated in Singapore Hainanese Association Art Exhibition 2009, Singapore

2010              Participated in National Day Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition 2010, Singapore

2010              Juried into the National Watercolor Society 90th Annual Exhibition 2010, Los Angeles, USA

2011              Participated in Tiong Bahru Revisited Exhibition, White Canvas Gallery, Singapore

2011              Participated in the first group exhibition of Urban Sketchers Singapore (USk-SG) and its book launch at URA Centre, Singapore

2012              Participated in $uper $ingapore $ale Art Exhibition at ION Orchard Gallery, Singapore

2012              Participated in “Our Journey” Watercolour Exhibition with Loy Chye Chuan & Students

2013              Juried into the 36th International Exhibition of Watercolor Art Society-Houston (WAS-H), USA

2013              Juried into and won the “Christopher J. Doré Memorial Award” - 43rd Louisiana Watercolor Society (LWS) International Exhibition, USA

2013              Participated in “Unity-In-Diversity” 7-man Group Exhibition, National Library Board, Singapore

2013              Participated in “Artist’s Favourite II” Group Exhibition, Penang State Museum, Malaysia

2013              Represented Singapore in “China-ASEAN Youth Artists Workshop & Residency” in Beijing, where 6 paintings are permanently collected by China's          

                       Ministry of Culture 

2014              Participated in “A Changed World” exhibition jointly organized by Urban Sketchers Singapore and National Museum of Singapore

2014              Juried into the 37th International Exhibition of Watercolor Art Society-Houston (WAS-H), USA

2014              “Re-Interpretation” International Watercolor Exhibition 2014, Suzhou, China

2014              Participated in “National Day Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition 2014”, Singapore

2014              Participated in “Langkawi Art Biennale 2014”, Langkawi, Malaysia

2014              Participated in World Hainanese Calligraphy and Art Exhibition 2014, Singapore

2015              Selected and Participated as one of the 50 artists in “A Brush with Singapore Art Society”, Singapore

2015              Juried into the 38th International Exhibition of Watercolor Art Society-Houston (WAS-H), USA

2015              Juried into 2015 Watercolor Missouri International Exhibition, USA

2015              Juried into the 45th Louisiana Watercolor Society (LWS) International Exhibition, USA

2015              Participated in World Artists Alliance Exhibitions in Penang, Malaysia and Hua Lien, Taiwan

2015              Participated in “National Day Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition 2015”, Singapore
2015              Juried into the National Watercolour Society 95th International Annual Exhibition 2015, USA
2015              Participated in “50 Cultural Landscapes of Singapore” Watercolour Exhibition by jointly hosted by Lianhe Zaobao and SWS in conjunction with                 

                       Singapore’s SG50 jubilee celebration
2016              Participated in the National Watercolor Society Invitational Plein Air Painting Exhibition at Muckenthaler Cultural Center, Los Angeles, USA
2016              Participated in the International Festival of Watercolour Artists for the 234th anniversary of Rattanakosin (Bangkok), Thailand
2016              Participated in “Memoirs of City Port Scenes” exhibition jointly organized by Maritime Port Authority and Singapore Watercolour Society, held at Visual

                       Arts Centre, Singapore
2016              Participated in “A Journey to Hue” Watercolour painting tour and exhibition in Hue City, Vietnam

2016              Featured in “Singapore’s Visual Artists Directory”, published by National Arts Council (NAC)

2016 - 23      Participated in the Singapore Art Society's Annual Exhibitions
2016              One-page feature in the 23rd issue of “The Art of Watercolour” magazine, “Revelations”, June-September 2016 issue
2016              “Fruit Stalls in Penang, Malaysia” selected for publication in “Splash 17 Inspiring Subjects” by North Light Books

2017              Participated in “Commemorating NS50 Through Art” series of exhibitions in conjunction of 50th Anniversary of National Service in Singapore, jointly   

                       organised by Singapore Art Society and Singapore Armed Forces

2017              Participated in the 4th Silk Road International Art Exhibition 2017 held in Xi’an, China

2017              Participated in “Water Rhyme On the Maritime Silk Road” Singapore-Shantou (China) joint exhibition, China

2018              Participated in "Interlace" - A group show featuring sketches by 20 artists on The Perfect Sketchbook, Singapore

2018              Participated in the inaugural "International Watercolour Masters Exhibiion 2018" at Weston Park, United Kingdom

2018              Painting entitled “Red Floor, Bedok South Wet Market” selected for publication in “Splash 19 – Illusion of Light” by North Light Books

2019              Participated in “Our Colourful Journey” exhibition with Scenic Rangers plein air group, Singapore

2020              Participated in “Geylang Si Paku Geylang” group exhibition at Wisma Geylang Serai, Singapore

2020              Participated in “Beyond the Walls”, four-person virtual exhibition, supported by National Art Council, Singapore

2021              Juried into the National Watercolour Society 101st International Open Exhibition 2021, USA

2021              Appointed as Brand Ambasador of Royal Talens art materials

2022              Participated in "Re-Kindle", a six-person group exhibition by Artsafe, Singapore 

2022              Participated in the second "International Watercolour Masters Exhibition" held at Lilleshall Hall, United Kingdom

2022              Participated in "Pulau Ketam International Art & Culture Festival 2022", Malaysia

2022              Participated in "Sarawak-International Art Camp" organised by Sarawak Artists Society (SAS), Malaysia

2023              Juried into the National Watercolour Society 103rd International Open Exhibition 2023, USA

2023              Juried into San Diego Watercolour Society’s Plein Air Exhibition 2023, USA

2024              Invited as guest artist to the "Vietnam In Aquarello - Colours of Cultures" watercolour exhibition in Hanoi, Vietnam

2024              Invited as guest artist to the "3rd International Watercolour Exhibition" organised by Watercolour Society of WA in Perth, Australia

bottom of page