LOT 33
CHEN WEN HSI
B. China, 1906 – 1991
Herons and Reeds
Signed in Chinese character and stamped with seal of the artist on upper right
Ink on paper
66 x 68.5 cm
Private Collection, Singapore
Comes with the receipts of purchases from the estate sale
RM 55,000 – RM 90,000
Provenance : The artwork comes from the same estate of these following paintings previously sold by KLAS;
In this masterpiece, Chen Wen Hsi portrayed his abstract mastery using ink on paper, but in a muted tone. This flock of heron is portrayed in a flurry, looking for food in the wilderness. Here, a medley of Western and Nanyang influences are discerned, evidence of his flawless technique. Chen’s works were truly variegated, melding the different elements of Western styles of art and traditional Chinese painting techniques with a Southeast Asian subject matter. Known for his avant-garde Chinese-style paintings, Chen Wen Hsi was born in 1906 in Guangdong, China. He was a highly regarded first-generation artist, who was at the forefront of the Chinese revolutionary movement in Singapore during the 1950’s.