Cheong Soo Pieng

(1917-1983)

Untitled (Resting under a Tree)

Footnotes

Provenance
Merlin Gallery, Singapore
Acquired directly from the above in the mid 1980s
Dr Seah Pong Pin, renowned Singaporean Dermatologist
Private Collection, Singapore (by descent from the above)

*Please note that this lot is located in Singapore. Buyer is responsible to arrange shipping from present location of lot to buyer's desired destination. To enquire shipping quote, please contact [email protected].


Of course I do not search for it, (a style) consciously or create it deliberately. I doubt any artist does. But it is there. It is a way of bringing order and intelligence to what an artist is doing.

—Cheong Soo Pieng

Hailed as one of the pillars of the Nanyang school of painting, Cheong Soo Pieng stands out for his ceaseless experimentation and mastery of an eclectic range of painting techniques. Here was an artist who was unafraid to step out of his comfort zone yet still honoured and stayed true to his traditional roots. Born in Xiamen, China, after studying at the Xiamen Academy of Fine Arts and the Xin Hua Academy of Fine Arts in Shanghai, he arrived in Singapore at the age of 29 in late 1946 to take up a teaching position at NAFA on the recommendation of his teacher, Lim Hak Tai.

A kaleidoscope of local themes—such as the enchanting landscapes, tropical environments, and the peoples of rural Malaya and Southeast Asia—were embraced and celebrated by Soo Pieng in his art. He travelled avidly across Southeast Asia and Europe in search of creative inspiration. These cross-cultural encounters were essential ingredients to his evolving artistic practice, which aimed at interweaving and mediating a myriad of aesthetic elements and experiences.

Compositions such as Resting under a Tree (Lot 3) and Mother and Child (Lot 4) are sensitive examples of Soo Pieng's exploration and focus on bucolic themes. Blending his Chinese artistic roots with additional elements learned from Western artistic traditions, and inspired by the people and culture of Southeast Asia, Soo Pieng created a distinctive and singular style that is completely original and unique, establishing him as one of the most exceptional and pioneering Asian artists of the 20th century.

Cheong Soo Pieng began creating paintings inspired by the masters of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) around 1977-1978 before he embarked on a trip to Guilin, China, in 1979. However, instead of scholars or sages, his paintings explore and celebrate more humble subjects such as villagers or kampong scenes. During this time, his painting style was characterized by an emphasis on delicate brushwork, restrained colour, and intricate layers of ink reflecting light and dark contrasts, as seen in this painting dated 1978.

Two seated ladies with elegant elongated limbs and distinctive almond-shaped eyes are seen in the foreground. Their clothing and headwear reveal a uniquely Southeast Asian identity, yet the tree under which they rest is painted in a style that is completely derived from Chinese ink painting traditions. The painting vividly captures an imagined scene drawn from the artist's rustic wanderings; the two women are engrossed in conversation, taking a moment's repose from a hard day's labour. A goat keeps them company and seems to be the only witness to the viewer's gaze as he looks up quizzically from his meal. A sense of timeless serenity and harmony pervades this work, and the dynamic relationship between the subjects and the space they inhabit reaffirms the enduring aesthetic qualities of Soo Pieng's oeuvre.