LOT 49
CHEN WEN HSI
B. Singapore, 1906 – 1991
Two Hens
Signed with seal on lower right
Chinese ink and colour on paper
33 x 45 cm
Provenance Private Collection, Singapore
Illustrated in the soon to be published “777, Celebrating 7 Illustrious Years at KLAS” coffee table book published by KLAS in November 2018
RM10,000 – RM20,000
Soft in sight with graceful subtlety, Chen Wen Hsi illustrates his depiction of two hens wondering amidst the space of their surrounding nature. He was always keen on nature and animals as the subject of his artworks. Using Chinese ink and watercolour on paper for this masterpiece, he showcases and oriental-style technique with immaculate brush strokes.
Chen was proficient in both traditional Chinese ink and Western oil painting, and experimented with a variety of styles ranging from Fauvism to Cubism. In Chen’s exhibition held in May 1956, Frank Sullivan noted his fascination for man-made things and clutter. The artist loved to experiment with the interplay of light and forms in chaotic subjects. His unique style which showed interest in angles but not Cubist; strays not far from reality and is obsessed with shapes, and yet not an abstract painter.