C. N. Liew 劉慶倫 (b. 1975)

Kuala Lumpur-born C.N. Liew is a disciple of both the great Zen master Bo Yuan and Liu Kuo-Sung, the father of Chinese contemporary ink art. Liew is the first artist of Chinese descent whose works are collected by the Istana Negra (National Palace) of Malaysia. 

Liew’s spiritual longing for freedom is revealed through the incredible intensity of his brushstrokes. Using the Chinese philosophical concept of dao (the path) as an entry point into analysing Liew’s exceptional artistry, one is able to glimpse how he establishes a dialogue between traditional aesthetics and abstract expressionism through a unique “writing-painting” technique.

Accomplished in a variety of mediums, including ink, calligraphy, acrylic, watercolor and sculpture, Liew collaborates with artists from different fields, and has incorporated his art in contemporary dance, musicals and fashion. In 2005, Liew’s Surrealligraphy series won the Special Award at the First Seoul International Calligraphy Biennial. In 2012, he became the first Southeast Asian artist to exhibit at Art HK, Fine Art Asia and Art Miami. Four years later, in 2016, Yazhou Zhoukan, a sister magazine to Asiaweek, honoured him with the World Outstanding Young Leaders Award, which recognises the achievements of exceptional young individuals across various fields. One of Liew’s latest shows was a landscape exhibition at Clare College, Cambridge in the UK, which ran from November 2022 to January 2023.