Lot 113
Chen Wen Hsi (Singaporean, 1906-1991), Two Gibbons
Lot Details & Additional Photographs
Frame dimensions 28 1/2 x 34 in., Sight size 20 3/4 x 27 in.
Private North Carolina Collection
Purchased at a gallery in Singapore in 1973, thence by descent.
For similar paintings by Chen Wen Hsi see Christie's Hong Kong, 13 Dec 2022, Lot 42, Sotheby's Hong Kong, 07 Dec 2021, Lot 6137, and Christie's Hong Kong, 26 May 2019, Lot 200.
A seminal figure in the bourgeoning art scene of the 50s and 60s in Singapore, Chen Wen Hsi was part of the group of pioneer artists who set out to discover and depict a uniquely 'Southeast Asian' form of artistic expression. Chen was also in attendance at the Xin Hua Academy of Fine Art in Shanghai in 1930, where he was contemporaneous with the likes of Liu Kang and Chen Chong Swee - with whom he would continue to produce art alongside following their migration to Singapore. The trademarks of Chen's style fall into two broad categories - Chinese ink painting focused on the flora and fauna of the region, and abstract works executed on paper and canvas. While Chen also undertook the study of nudes through his ink and oil paintings, it is for his figurative animal works, as well as abstract compositions that he has become most recognizable.
The painting offered in this auction iis an exceptional work of its genre. The lively, iconic gibbons of Chen are represented upon a peaceful tree branch, in a scene that conveys an overall feeling of calm, as well as an appreciation for the beauty and delicacy of nature. This is a painting that demonstrates the height of Chen's ink technique, as well as nostalgia for the Chinese aesthetic. Indeed, Chen's prolific animal paintings have come to be iconic to the region so much so that a painting of gibbons by Chen was included in the 1972 Art Series of Singaporean postage stamps.
Some light scattered foxing; not examined outside of the frame.
$5,000 - 10,000
