Untitled

Cheong Soo Pieng (1917-1983) is regarded as a pivotal figure in Singapore's modern art development. Born in Xiamen, China, he was part of a group of artists that attempted to articulate a style identifiable and pertinent to post-war Singapore, then known collectively with Malaysia, as Malaya. This style, later crystallized as the Nanyang Style, provided a foundation upon which future generations of artists learned and expanded on. A key element of the Nanyang Style was the synthesis of Chinese pictorial elements and the diverse formalistic qualities from the School of Paris. Cheong was one of the most experimental amongst the pioneer artists and was known to experiment by synthesizing different art styles. An accomplished Chinese ink artist, Cheong executes this painting of a coastal village in ink on paper while incorporating geometric mannerism. Since his arrival in Southeast Asia, Cheong had sought to depict the local scenery and the coast is a recurring theme in his art.