Chen Wen Hsi: Devotion to Nature
11.04// 27.04 2025
artcommune gallery is pleased to present Chen Wen Hsi: Devotion to Nature. The exhibition, on view from 11 to 27 April 2025, showcases 19 ink works that reflect the Singapore pioneer master's lifelong fascination with exploring the essence of nature and life through themes of animals and landscapes.
Born in Guangdong, China, Chen Wen Hsi (b. 1906 - d. 1991) is considered one of Singapore's most important pioneer artists and art educators. Growing up in China, he was exposed to traditional Chinese ink painting and calligraphy at a young age and enrolled at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts in 1926. Later in Shanghai, he transferred to the Xinhua Academy of Fine Arts where he was inspired by some of China's most talented artists of the period. He was trained in Western modern art and continued his study of Chinese painting under Pan Tianshou, from whom he also learnt the extremely rare and erudite Chinese finger-painting tradition.
By the time of his arrival in Singapore in 1949, Chen Wen Hsi's proficiency in both Chinese and Western pictorial styles enabled him to synthesise and evolve artistic expressions that cleverly straddle between East-West modern aesthetics. In 1952, after the historic Bali painting trip with fellow artist-educators Cheong Soo Pieng, Liu Kang and Chen Chong Swee, he invigorated the Singapore art scene by pioneering the Nanyang art style and modernising Chinese ink aesthetics throughout his lifetime.
Chen Wen Hsi's paintings of animals and landscapes reveal not only his strong foundation in traditional Chinese painting but also the artist's constant innovation in overturning its strict formalism. One of his ink compositions, Two Gibbons Amidst Vines, can be seen on the back of our Singapore $50 note.
Chen Wen Hsi, Sparrows, Undated, Chinese ink and colour on paper (finger painting), 35 x 43 cm
Chen Wen Hsi was also known for his fondness for animals. As described by the artist himself in the essay titled, 'Half a Century’s Life of an Artist: Chen Wen Hsi':
'Our [childhood] house was surrounded by paddy fields, which attracted hordes of sparrows in our courtyard. Therefore I not only had the pleasure of their company all the time, but I was able to watch their shape and form, their habits, their every movement, their individual and communal life. This led to my interest in other poultry, and I raised chickens, ducks, geese, and developed a great love and friendship for pets and animals...'
In his Singapore home, Chen Wen Hsi's art studio looked out to his home garden where he kept a menagerie of pets including roosters, peacocks, gibbons, squirrels, dogs and fishes. He observed the behaviours and dynamics of these animals closely, capturing the spontaneity of their movements and interactions through fluid compositional rhythm and ink strokes in his work.
Chen Wen Hsi, Gibbons, Undated, Chinese ink and colour on paper, 34 x 44.5 cm
Chen Wen Hsi, Chickens, Undated (c. 1980), Chinese ink and colour on paper, 34 x 46 cm
'I have increasingly admired these creatures of nature, and the beauty endowed in their shapes and form, expressions, movements and ways of living.'
Chen Wen Hsi, 'Half a Century’s Life of an Artist: Chen Wen Hsi'.
Chen Wen Hsi, Squirrels, Undated, Chinese ink and colour on paper, 69 x 45 cm
'As for egrets, as I mentioned just now, we had lots of fields in my hometown when I was young. Many Egrets and cranes lived there. We could see many of these animals whenever we stepped out of our home. Before long, I came to enjoy painting cranes, egrets and ducks very much. It;'s all because of the influence of the environment on me.'
'Transcript of Oral History Interview with Artist in Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition, Singapore Art Museum, 2006, p.76.
Chen Wen Hsi, Cranes, c. 1960s, Chinese ink and colour on paper, 48 x 67 cm
Chen Wen Hsi, Sparrows and Bamboos, Undated, Chinese ink and colour on paper, 68 x 68 cm
Chen Wen Hsi, Gibbons, Undated, Chinese ink and colour on paper, 69 x 44 cm
Chen Wen Hsi, Landscape, c. 1970s, Chinese ink and colour on paper, 85.5 x 65 cm
Exhibition Period
Date: 11 - 27 April 2025
Time: 12pm - 7pm daily
Venue: artcommune gallery (address below)
Contact Information:
artcommune gallery
76 Bras Basah Road
#01-01 Singapore 189558
Tel: +65 63364240 M: +65 97479046
https://www.artcommune.com.sg
Art Talk
Singapore Art Series:
Learning to Authenticate Chen Wen Hsi's Paintings
Sunday, 13 April 2025
4:00 - 6:30pm
artcommune gallery
$25 per participant | RSVP Required; Limited Pax Available
This lecture introduces audience to Chen Wen Hsi's ink painting styles and techniques, along with some basic knowledge on how to discern between the real and fake paintings on the market.
Chen Wen Hsi is perhaps the only Singaporean artist whose works were forged in large quantities. These imitations began surfacing while the artist was still alive, attesting to the popularity of his art. Some imitations display accomplished ink painting techniques, and had shown up at auction houses in recent years, resulting in heartache for collectors who paid hefty prices only to realise that they had acquired fake works.
Overview
1. An introduction to Chen Wen Hsi's ink painting styles & techniques, in relation to traditional Chinese aesthetics
2. Acquire some basic skills for discerning between real and forged works
3. Common pitfalls to avoid
4. Explore case studies and guided practices
About the Speaker
Gallery Founder and Artist Mr. Ho Sou Ping holds a Master’s Degree in Art History. He founded artcommune gallery in 2009, and specialises in Chinese ink and watercolour painting. His singular commitment to raising the stature of Singapore art via artcommune as a platform is well-documented in the local media. Under his artistic direction, artcommune has held various high-profile and acclaimed exhibitions, and is a trusted enterprise for artists and collectors alike.