Chen Wen Hsi @ SAM

Posted by angela under Exhibitions
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Courtesy of the Singapore Art Museum

On a recent visit to the Singapore Art Museum, I popped by the Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition. On the 100th anniversary of his birth, SAM has decided to honor one of Singapore’s pioneer artists. I was impressed by the wide variety of his paintings, which range from Western oil to Chinese ink.

The exhibition is divided into 4 broad sections: Traditions, Life, Explorations and Synthesis, which showcase his works from different periods of his life.

Traditions showcases the root of Chen Wen Hsi’s practice, and contains mostly Chen’s earlier works of Chinese ink paintings, which are done on silk.

Chinese Ink Paintings - Courtesy of the Singapore Art Museum

Life showcases his observations of nature and his surrounding environment, which are evidence of his keen eye for detail.

Samsui Women - Courtesy of the Singapore Art Museum

Explorations show his works which are influenced by other cultures and mediums, while Synthesis shows how he mixed Chinese painting techniques with Western modern art.

Herons - Courtesy of the Singapore Art Museum

To be honest, I’m not much of an art buff, but what stood out particularly for me were his gibbon paintings, which are incredibly detailed and were lauded for their liveliness and beauty.

Courtesy of the Singapore Art Museum

Close up of Gibbon - Courtesy of the Singapore Art Museum

Even for those who have never heard of Chen Wen Hsi… you’ve probably seen his gibbon paintings:

On stamps…

Or at least definitely on this:

If you look carefully at the 50 dollar note, you can see the gibbon painting (in red).

And you just don’t argue with money. ; )

Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition is on at the Singapore Art Museum till 8 April 2007. SAM is located at 71 Bras Basah Road, open from 10am to 7pm from Mon to Sun. Admission is free on Friday nights (7 to 9pm).

Tags: Chen Wen Hsi, Chen Wen HsiSingapore Art Museum