JOURNEYS INTO SOUTHEAST ASIAN ART

CHRISTIE’S HONG KONG PRESENTS:

CHINESE ARTISTS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

A SELLING EXHIBITION OF ASIAN 20^th CENTURY AND CONTEMPORARY ART 

CHEONG SOO PIENG

(SINGAPOREAN, 1917 – 1983)

Blue Composition

oil on canvas

92 x 153 cm

Painted in 1979

Hong Kong – Christie’s is honoured to present Chinese Artists in Southeast Asia, a selling exhibition to be held in the James Christie Room in Hong Kong from 12 April through 30 April. This exhibition of 60 works from 26 artists is separated into four themes – Connection, Home, Abroad, and Beyond, relating to different stages in the collective experiences of Chinese artists in Southeast Asia, including Damrong Wong-Uparaj, Georgette Chen, Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng, Le Pho, Lee Man Fong, and more.  Breaking down the boundaries of nationality, generation, and artistic styles, this unique exhibition presents a new legacy for art in Southeast Asia and for future generations.

Connection

The aesthetic quality of Chinese ink painting is manifest across the work of both first, as well as second-generation artists, even while they sought to challenge traditional conventions as they embraced new surroundings and subject matter within Southeast Asia.

Following Christie’s Hong Kong Autumn Auctions in 2013, when Bali Life achieved the world auction record price for any Southeast Asian art, a collection of works from Lee Man Fong (Indonesian, 1913 – 1988) is presented in the exhibition, including Damai Indah (Peace and Beauty) (illustrated left). The painting illustrates the ideals of peace, stability, and the hope for a better life in the rich landscape of Southeast Asia, that the new migrants aspired to.  

Home

Shifting their attention to the portrayal of scenes within the artists’ new surroundings, painting became a means to represent the unique aspects of life in Southeast Asia. The culture and lifestyle in Southeast Asia presented the simultaneous idea of vitality as well as contemplative stillness. The overseas Chinese artists were quick to embrace their new home.

A highlight from Damrong Wong-Uparaj’s (Thai, 1936 – 2002) ouerve and his most significant work to come to market, Panoramic View of a Thai Village (illustrated right) will also be featured in the exhibition. The village scene is portrayed without the presence of human life, a characteristic feature of the artist’s work, that allows for the uninhibited appreciation of the landscape. The relationship of respect between people and the land is presented, as evidenced by the worker’s neatly arranged tools below the surrounding trees. Wong-Uparaj’s art expresses the essence and familiarity of “home”.

Abroad

The tremendous cultural and historical diversity of the region inspired artists to travel regularly to immerse themselves in the cultural experiences unique to the region, and to depict its people and land. The early émigrés were interested in capturing not just a sense of the local, but the regional as well, and from their travels emerges another body of work iconic to the art of the Southeast Asian region.

A highlight of this part of the exhibition is Cheong Soo Pieng’s (Singaporean, 1917 – 1983) Women With Jackfruit (illustrated left). Cheong was a pioneer of the ‘Nanyang’ art style, and this painting is a masterpiece of his iconic brushwork from the late 1970s. Cheong manages effectively to capture the idyllic nature of village life and a deep sense of serenity; seen through the placid, heavy-lidded expressions of the figures, their elongated limbs in relaxed poses, and the overall surroundings of lush vegetation.

Beyond

Departing from the use of traditional media in non-traditional ways to depict subjects, which are also non-traditional, the works from these artists push the boundaries of both Eastern as well as Western art. From mixed media works to contemporary Chinese ink painting, the works within this section of th exhibition present a visual language that extends beyond the region, and demonstrates the alignment of regional artists within a global aesthetic movement.

Blue Composition (illustrated on page 1) is a demonstration of the artist Cheong Soo Pieng working at the height of his artistic maturity and confidence. Cheong’s adoption of the Miro-style of abstraction is clear in his use of bold colours within geometric shapes. The work represents a culmination of experiences and artistic experimentation while working in the Southeast Asian region, and its rarity and uniqueness make it an exceptional feature in the selling exhibition.  

CHINESE ARTISTS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA  

Date: 12 to 30 April 2014

Time: 10:00am to 5:30pm

Venue: James Christie Room, 22nd Floor,

Alexandra House, 18 Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong

ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS (For details, please refer to the factsheet.)

Please click here for the highlight images and here for the exhibition web page.