LOT 43
CHEN WEN HSI
B. China, 1906 – 1991
Gibbons
Chinese ink and colour on paper
137 x 66 cm
Signed and stamped with artist’s Chinese seal on lower right
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Penang
RM 55,000 – 75,000
Chen Wen Hsi was a pioneering figure of the Nanyang art movement and is particularly admired for his depictions of animals and nature. Amonghis most recognisable subjects were gibbons, which he studied closely and rendered repeatedly in Chinese ink, capturing their character through economical brushwork, expressive movement and careful observation. The importance of this motif within his practice is underscored by TwoGibbons Amidst Vines, another of his celebrated compositions, which appears on the reverse of Singapore’s S$50 banknote.
In Gibbons, several animals occupy the branches at different heights, creating a lively sense of interaction across the vertical composition. Chenvaries the density of his ink to distinguish the soft fur of the gibbons from the more decisive strokes of the branches, while touches of red foliage introduce warmth and visual contrast. The generous areas of open space prevent the composition from becoming crowded, giving the work anelegant rhythm and allowing each figure to retain its own presence within the scene.