Kowk Kian Chow sutdied art and art history at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and University of British Columbia. He worked as a community programme administrator for many years before he was seconded to the National Museum.

Kowk is currently director of the Singapore Art Museum.

Channels & Confluences, A History of Singapore Art is a comprehensive account of Singapore Art from around the turn of the twentieth century to present. This volume was written and compiled by Kwok Kian Chow, current director of the Singapore Art Museum. This publication is fully illustrated and includes a selected bibliography and detailed index.

Channels & Confluences is the first fully-illustrated historical survey of Singapore art.

From the rare paintings of Low Kway Song, a memberr of the Amateur Drawing Association founded in 1909, through the stylistically-important works of pioneer artistis such as Cheong Soo Pieng, Chen CHong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi, Liu Kang and Georgette Chen, to the avant-garde and eloquent installations of artisits associated with the Artists Village of the 1990s, this study highlights many hsitorical and aesthetic themes and issues which are vital to understanding the developmen tof the visual arts in Singapore.

Regionalism, the grwoth of the art infrastructure, the importance of curatorship, the establishement of art instituttions and groupsings, the dynamics of the CHinese ink traditon, the influence of Western art trends, the emergence of modern art and the place of the art market are but some of the many subjects which are raised and discussed within a systematic and chronological framework.

The book is vlauable reference to the art collector and art student alike. It is also an inspiring reousrce for artists and thsoe who appreciate the fine heritage of Singapore.