SINGAPOREAN
1931 — 1994

Lai Foong Moi is the first Malaysian-born female artist to have secured an overseas scholarship from the French government to study at the L’Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts. Lai returned to Malaya and settled in Singapore in 1958. She held a teaching the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts until her death in 1994 and nurtured numerous second and third generation artists such as Tan Choh Tee. Lai developed an individual style of painting that was highly influenced by post-Impressionism to portray Nanyang scenes and her people. Her artworks are in the collections of the National Gallery Singapore and reputable museums across Malaysia.