CHEN WEN HSI | Bombing

Acquired directly from the artist in 1978
Private Collection, USA
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Chen Wen Hsi, Chen Wen Hsi Paintings, Old and New Gallery, Singapore, 1976, number 8, colourplate illustration 

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. There is evidence of wear and losses along the edges of the work, but this does not affect the overall image. There are few very small, minor losses at upper left and upper right quadrants. Any inconsistencies are due to the artist's working method. Framed.
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“During those years of teaching and study, I gradually came to the realization of a basic concept in the art of painting, namely that what we are seeking in art is not just physical likeness of shape or form, but the composite image and spirit, the overall beauty and conclusion of the painting… This leads me to the controversial subject of abstractionism, which has flourished especially after World War II, on account of an increasing tendency in man’s endeavours to seek mental and psychological freedom….Since the days of Goya, the tendency in Western art has consistently moved in the direction of shaping human thoughts free of physical bondage” – Chen Wen Hsi Celebrated as a founding father of Singaporean modern art, Chen Wen Hsi is recognized as one of the most significant artists from the nation. Much like his fellow pioneering ‘Nanyang’ artists, Chen spent a large portion of his life in China before departing for Singapore in 1948.  He was born in Guangdong province, traveled to Shanghai and graduated from the Xinhua Academy of Fine Arts. During the Chinese Civil War, the artist moved to Southeast Asia and soon settled in Singapore, where he taught at the Nanyang Acadamy of Fine Arts (NAFA). Here, he became part of the bourgeoning Nanyang art movement, which is renowned for synthesizing Eastern and Western artistic styles and integrating variegated techniques of color, medium and form to create diverse compositions.

Though he was dexterous in classical Chinese painting and focused on brush and ink works, Chen soon familiarized himself with “the clinical austerity of the Cubists, the sinister pathos of the Fauvists, [and] the violent anguish of the Expressionists…”²

While in Singapore, Chen took the opportunity to collect art books that were not accessible in China at the time. This way, he keenly studied the paintings of Picasso and Paul Klee, artists that played a significant role in his tutelage of Western art. Constantly absorbing new ideas and techniques, even those vastly divergent from traditional canons, the open-minded artist said: “I also believe that the true artist, while he absorbs the traditional and conventional values and merits, is not slavishly bound by them, but builds his own philosophy and style after he assimilates the good features of the past masters.”³ Though these Western art movements may have been seen as irrelevant to an artist trained in classical Chinese inks, Chen was receptive to them and found that they had the potential of strengthening his aesthetic vocabulary.

A rare and early work, the present lot is representative of a point in time when Chen was embracing foreign movements and exploring the diversity of these styles. Though he delighted in painting with ink, he daringly worked with mediums out of his comfort zone, such as oil. These early experimentations with cubism and abstraction serve as are precursors of the artist’s later works, when he would develop a mature style of his own by incorporating concepts from Western art. As an early adopter, he propelled the Nanyang art movement, serving as an inspiration for the artists around him.

In the present piece, Chen Wen Hsi expresses his interest in the purity of abstraction, asserting that, “Beauty in art is not dependent solely on feelings and sentiments. It has to be regulated by reason and structure. In this sense Abstract Art is one of the most pure and absolute form of painting.”⁴ While Bombing is a gripping example of Chen Wen Hsi’s cerebral rigor, it is also telling of the very core of his artistic beliefs, which dictate that beauty is borne through simplicity.

Upon first inspection, the present lot is a Cubist-inspired abstract work rendered with a restrained color palette. The artist manipulates the use of planes, simplifies his forms and employs sharp edges throughout the composition. He focuses heavily on the playful movement of the forms and the dissection of geometrical shapes, all the while revealing the noteworthy control he had over his brush. The strokes are expressive, confident and powerful. The dynamic, gestural strokes hint at the Chen’s optimism and enthusiasm in communicating through the lens of abstraction. Comprised of independent visual elements, Chen deconstructs the visible world to their most rudimentary shapes and forms, with a strong sense of color-theory. Cooler tones of blues and purple are harmoniously juxtaposed against warmer hues of mustard, creating a sense of contrast, balance and depth to the work.

The present lot is a work vital for its quality and place in not merely the artist’s journey, but also in the development of Singapore’s modern art history. Though he was an experimental artist, only a few abstract works are known to exist, making each one a rarity. Additionally, each oil painting he produced is reflective of a moment in his life when he intently chose to use this medium over others, as it would better express his creative intent at the time. The present lot stands as an outstanding example of Chen Wen Hsi’s varied repertoire and is truly representative of the legacy an artist revered as an innovator and pioneer of the Nanyang style.

 

¹ Choy Weng Yang, Chen Wen Hsi, Retrospective 1982, International Press Singapore, 1982.

² Chang Tsong-Zung et al., Paintings by Chen Wen Hsi, The Old and New Gallery, Singapore, 1987.

³ Chen Wen Hsi and E.L. Pan, Half a Century’s Life of an Artist

⁴ Siewmin Chen, Paintings by Chen Wen Hsi, The Old & New Gallery, Singapore, 1987, P. 6