For an artist whose practice was so rich and diverse, there remain many fertile areas. He was also known for his signature depiction of southeast asian indigenous tribal people with elongated limbs and torso, almondshaped faces and eyes in his paintings. When i grow up i want to paint like cheong soo pieng. Download this books into available format unlimited. Cheong soo pieng is regarded as a pivotal figure in singapores modern art development. Cheong soo pieng was a pioneer artist who created visually fresh pictures of southeast asias landscapes and peoples. Seah tziyan on cheong soo piengs construction object. Their work was featured in exhibitions at the singapore tyler print institute and the singapore art museum.
He was also known for his signature depiction of southeast asian indigenous tribal people with elongated limbs and torso, almondshaped faces and eyes in his. When i grow up i want to paint like cheong soo pieng the national gallery of art, singapore. Like his contemporaries, cheong soo pieng looked at new ways of representing the southeast asian landscapes. When i grow up i want to paint like cheong soo pieng by. A firstgeneration chinese who migrated to singapore, and became firmly entrenched within what is now known as the nanyang style or school of singapore art, cheong soo pieng has been widely acclaimed as an artist whose personal career has undergone a myriad of transformations. Cheong soo pieng, weaver an example of the nanyang art movement from singapore cheong soo pieng, weaver 1981 an example of the nanyang art movement from singapore see more. Cheong soo piengs drying salted fish, which is featured on the back. A pioneer of the nanyang art movement and an eminent figure in the development of fine art in singapore, cheong soo pieng b. Cheong soo pieng was a chineseborn singaporean painter. Cheong soo pieng is a singapore pioneer modern artist, and a key proponent of the nanyang style of art which began in singapore and is central in the history of southeast asian art. Acquired by the vendor at an art fair in kuala lampur c. In the 1950s cheong soo pieng adopted masonite6 as a new support for his paintings.
Learn about the artist and find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks, the latest news, and sold auction prices. Trained at the xiamen fine art academy and the xinhua academy of fine arts in shanghai, cheong relocated to singapore after world war ii and taught art at the nanyang academy of fine arts for many years. Common southeast asian subjects, such as people busy drying fish or the graceful figure of a balinese dancer, take on new stylised forms through cheongs deft use of pictorial. Pioneer artist cheong soo piengs abstract works on. Cheong soo pieng famous singaporean artist asian art. The book s foreword is penned by moe advisor and former directorgeneral of education, ms ho peng, and the themes span the realm of science and technology, education. Liu kang, cheong soo pieng, chen chong swee, chen wen hsi. Cheong soo pieng is considered a pioneer of singaporean modern art, and. The national heritage board is presently the custodian of this collection.
This image and accompanying text appears here with the. The story of cheong soo pieng book launch the story of cheong soo pieng is a 216page hardbound publication. Cheong soo pieng is an eminent artist, and was pioneering in both his practice and his teaching. National gallery singapore will feature works by major singaporean artists such as georgette chen, chen chong swee, chen wen hsi, cheong soo pieng and liu kang. Revered as an exceptionally versatile artist who ceaselessly assimilated an array of aesthetic traditions in his works, cheong soo pieng was a pioneering visionary at the dawn of singapores modern art era. This is the first bilingual publication with chinese and english texts on the life and art of revered art master, cheong soo pieng. Cheong soo pieng 19171983 is generally regarded today as one of the most innovative and influential singapore artists of the 20 th century.
The story of cheong soo pieng book launch singapore. Cheong soo pieng composition technique gouache on paperboard signed and dated on the lower right \soo pieng 66\ size120. All book cheong soo pieng exhibition catalogues georgette chen kids national gallery singapore new arrivals ambitious alignments. Born in xiamen, china, he was part of a group of artist. Master of composition, opens on saturday and runs till march 9. This colouring and activity book allows children to create new works of art as they learn about one of singapores first generation artists, cheong soo pieng. Cheong soo pieng was a firstgeneration singapore artist and one of the seminal pioneers of the nanyang style of art. Malay woman by cheong soo pieng postcolonial literature. Cheong soo pieng was born in amoy, china in 1917 before moving to singapore, and is arguably the most successful 1st generation singaporean artist to date, with his auction records positioning him as the most commercially successful singaporean artist. Bali girls by cheong soo pieng,1954, oil, 75 x 60 cm 16.
Cheong soo pieng 19171983 is generally regarded today as one of the most innovative and influential singapore artists of the 20th century. When i grow up i want to paint like cheong soo pieng by na and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. Essays on him usually focus on his experimental spirit and formalistic innovations, often highlighting his synthesis of western and chinese art traditions. The collection now spans from early20thcentury naturalistic paintings to contemporary video installations. Masonite was a cheap alternative to canvas and wood, hence many artists and art students used it as a painting support. It will feature about 50 works from 1947 to 1983, which reflect cheongs spirit of innovation and. One of the most prominent names in the singapore art scene, cheong soo pieng is best known for contributing towards the nanyang style of art. Never before have cheong soo piengs works been so comprehensively and beautifully reproduced in book form. The book by national gallery singapore is the first effort of its kind to document the work of local pioneering artist cheong soo pieng. She is a picture of modesty, of serene contentment. Like many artists of his generation who hailed from the southern coastal towns in china, cheong soo pieng bore an outwardlooking vision.
Cheong soo pieng set out brilliantly in the work to suggest the precocious beauty of the sitter, evident in her carefully braided ponytail and her neatly combed fringe. By marrying the artistic traditions of the east and the west, he broke new ground in the portrayal of the tropics. Spanning the period from 1947 cheongs arrival to singapore from china to 1966 after his trip from london, the exhibition emphasises on the archival of and the facilitatation of future research and projects on cheongs practice and his influence on later generations of artists. Was very lucky to have worked with the press room and the national gallery singapore on this book. Iconic and innovative singaporean artist cheong soo pieng is famous for his nanyang paintings and pioneering efforts in that style, however his subjects and styles actually spanned the artistic spectrum from realist to abstract. Cheong soo pieng malay woman with three goats 1972. It has inspired a childrens book, salted fish, by yeo wei wei and ye. Many thanks to kelley cheng for getting me onboard this. Find the latest shows, biography, and artworks for sale by cheong soo pieng.
The 1959 mural painting commissioned by the board, from the book cheong soo pieng, visions of southeast asia. Cheong soo pieng and modern art in singapore a curatorial intervention by anissa rahadiningtyas, ph. Cheong soo pieng singaporean, 19171983 figure 1969 bronze and mixed media signed in chinese lower right signed and dated verso 102 x 71cm overall provenance. The artists market and biography, and their works prices and indices. About this book this is the first bilingual publication on the life and art of revered art master, cheong soo pieng. Cheong soo pieng was an artist who created visually fresh pictures of southeast asias landscapes and people. With a practice that drew from diverse influences such as chinese ink painting, modernist formalism, and postimpressionism, cheong soo pieng was known for his graphic lines and fluid movement inspired by his travels in southeast asia, and his affiliation with the development of the nanyang style. Singtel art project from nanyang to now the story of. This book chronicles the life and career of cheong soo pieng 19171983, gathering his key works, old photographs and neverbeforepublished sketches. Chen belonged to the pioneering group of artists of the nanyang style.
Cheong soo pieng was an artist who created visually fresh pictures of southeast asias landscapes and people by marrying the artistic traditions of the east and the west. When i grow up i want to paint like cheong soo pieng national. When i grow up i want to paint like cheong soo pieng the national gallery of art, singapore on. Her dress, striking in its bold red and black colors, typical of working class girls in 1950s singapore society, reveals the. Particularly apt is the fact that stpi itself is a place where art making and exhibiting collide. This document is part of a joint project of the singapore art museum and the honours core curriculum, national university of singapore. The story of cheong soo pieng is a 216page hardbound publication. He passed away from heart failure on the 1st july 1983 at the age of just 66. Visions of southeast asia pays tribute to and celebrates the life and work of a brilliant artist whose works from painting to sculpture and mixed media single him out as the most versatile and experimental artist of his generation. Cheong soo pieng at national art gallery singapore art. His contemporaries included liu kang, georgette chen, cheong soo pieng and chen wen hsi. Soopieng cheong paintings for sale soopieng cheong art. The story of cheong soo piengs life is set against china, southeast asia and. Cheong soo pieng chinese ink and colour on cloth during the 1940s to 1960s, it was a common sight to see salted fish drying in the sun.
In 1955, the singapore telephone board was formed to provide local telephone services, and in 1959, it commissioned the eminent modern artist cheong soo pieng to paint a semiabstract wall mural for the boards premises. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that soo pieng zdid not like to use masonite because the paintings could not easily be framed 7. The art gallery celebrates the works of singapores pioneer artists cum former hwa chong teachers like liu kang, cheong soo pieng, chen wen his and chen chong swee. Cheong soo pieng 1917 1983 singapore is an artist born in 1917 the oldest auction result ever registered on the website for an artwork by this artist is a drawingwatercolor sold in 1994, at christies, and the most recent auction result is a drawingwatercolor sold in 2020. Prices at auctions for painting artworks by cheong soo pieng. Cheong soo pieng was a singaporean artist who was a pioneer of the nanyang art style, and a driving force to the development of modernism in visual art in the early 20thcentury singapore.