Cheng-Khee Chee, a revered figure in contemporary watercolor world wide and beloved illustrator of Old Turtle, passed away peacefully on April 6, 2025, at the age of 92. Widely recognized for his masterful blending of Western abstraction and Chinese brush techniques, Chee earned hundreds of awards during his lifetime and inspired generations with his bold, expressive works.
Throughout his long career, Chee remained a passionate observer of the natural world, channeling his deep emotional responses into luminous paintings that bridged cultures and traditions. His contributions to watercolor were as much philosophical as they were technical, rooted in a quiet reverence for nature and a belief in the emotional truth of art.
“People think paintings need to be beautiful and celebratory,” Chee told the Duluth News Tribune in 2015. “For an artist, a painting must be what you feel in your heart. The feeling must be irresistible, to get it off your chest.”
A LASTING IMPRESSION: ARTISTS AND ADMIRERS REFLECT ON CHEE’S LEGACY
In a social media post, Old Turtle author Douglas Wood remembered that Chee hadn’t initially wanted to illustrate the book, but changed his mind after reading the manuscript. “He always called me Doug,” Wood wrote. “I always called him Mr. Chee. That seemed about right. … But he was always so very kind, thoughtful, and generous. … Mr. Chee had a favorite saying by Mother Theresa: ‘We do no great things, only small things with great love.”
“He not only taught me his knowledge of the craft, he also taught me humility and confidence,” says watercolor artist Ratindra Das. “His legacy will remain with all of us in the art world who came in touch with him through his teachings. We will miss this inspiring and encouraging human being. Always remember his words, ‘Let the medium obey its own natural laws.’ ”
In the late 1980s, John Salminen signed up for a six-session watercolor night class taught by Chee, then a University of Minnesota Professor. “It was just a marvelous introduction to watercolor,” says Salminen. “I found his approach to painting and his handling of the brush exciting and challenging and I have been a watercolorist ever since. The lessons I learned in those classes are the lessons that I still use every time I sit down to paint.”
IN REMEMBRANCE
Chee was a founding board member of the Midwest Watercolor Society, now known as the Transparent Watercolor Society of America. In recognition of his extraordinary skill and long-standing commitment, he was honored as a Distinguished Master Watercolorist — a distinction reserved for artists accepted into 20 or more of the society’s annual juried exhibitions.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to the University of Minnesota Duluth Cheng-Khee and Sing-Bee Chee Art Scholarship at the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, or to your local charity of choice.
