Born in 1942, Johor, Siew’s artistic journey began in Singapore. Siew spent his childhood days painting, imitating other artists painting outdoors. His love for painting blossomed under the guidance and support of his art teacher. Till this day, he credits his teachers Mr Liu Xiande and Mr Cheong Soo Pieng from Yeung Cheng School and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. After studying in NAFA, Siew took on various jobs, focusing on the studies of Philosophy and politics. As such, Siew’s works are not limited to still life and portraits, but also include works with political undertones.

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Throughout his career, Siew has travelled to several countries. As siew puts it, “The more varied your experience, the clearer you will see through things”.His personal experiences with people of differing cultures had deeply contributed to his paintings, allowing him to produce meaningful yet aesthetically pleasing works through the use of mediums such as oil, pastels, and watercolour.

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Siew’s works has been exhibited several times, such asin the National Art Museum of China,Beijing in 2004. He has also been was awarded with the National Day Medal for Fine Arts, the Visual Arts Creation Award, and his latest award, the 2024 Cultural Medallion Award.