鍾泗濱

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. There is some hairline craquelure visible at the skin of the women. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals some tiny spots of restoration at their faces and at the hair and sarong of the woman on the right. Framed.
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 “(In painting I first) experimented a good deal in colour technique, and when I had evolved a technique which (pleased) me I tried it upon studies of the human form. I went (to) Bali on a sketching trip, and there I was fascinated by the scenery and by the Balinese women. I discovered that Balinese women are the ideal subject for me, and I made a good number of paintings, modern in feeling and to my own liking.” ¹

Revered as one of the fathers of modern Singaporean art, Cheong Soo Pieng propelled the development of the Nanyang art movement, brought together techniques of traditional Chinese and Western paintings. Originally from China, the artist was fascinated and inspired by the female figures in Southeast Asia. His figures are often stylized with elongated limbs, along with the almond shaped eyes and distinctively chiseled features. The present lot Sisters is an excellent example in exemplifying Cheong Soo Pieng’s unique way in rendering female figures.

Created in 1981, this present piece belongs to the more mature period where Cheong Soo Pieng was refashioning his figural paintings. More confident in what he was illustrating, the female figures he painted at this stage had a particular modernistic touch to them. The background of Sisters is also reminiscent of pointillist techniques, revealing the influence of Western art on the artist’s painting style. Capturing a rather intimate moment when the sisters are seemingly to be talking and bonding, Sisters is a small-scale yet heartwarming portrayal of the innocent village life. Other than embodying his artistry, the present lot also demonstrated Cheong Soo Pieng’s attraction to the Southeast Asian culture and people.

¹ Seng Yu Jin and Grace Ting, Cheong Soo Pieng: Visions of Southeast Asia, The National Art Gallery, Singapore, 2010, P. 92