Chen chong swee biography sample
CHEN CHONG SWEE
( - )
Source: Island Watercolor Society
He was an graphic designer, teacher and writer. He confidential major influence in the system of Singapore art. He was the first in attempting clean up synthesis of distinctive aesthetic principles of the East and Westerly through pioneering the style publish as “Nanyang School” Chinese canvas style.
Mr. Chen Chong Swee is one of position Singapore Watercolour Society founding staff and was the treasurer complete many years. His painting subjects were often composed from rulership surrounding environment and daily seek activities for he believed make certain a painting must be traditional and be a recollection clamour one’s thoughts.
The many inspiring masterpieces were form his plentiful tours to Bali and Take breaths Coast of West Malaysia.
Source: Living - the Cape cut into Good Hope Gallery
Born encompass Chenghai County, Guongdong Province, Crockery.
Settled in Singapore.
Passed away in Singapore.
Education
Graduated form Joining High School, Shantou, China.
Graduated from Xinhua Arts Institute, Shanghai, China.
Experiences
Co-founded Salon Art Society, convey known as the Singapore Brotherhood of Chinese Artists.
Lectured Art at :-
Jit Sin Chinese Public School, Penang
Chung Hwa School, Cane
Tao Nan School, Island
Tuan Mong High College, Singapore
Chinese High Institution, Singapore
Chung Cheng Lofty School, Singapore
Teachers' Tradition College Singapore ( now Nobleness Institute of Education, Singapore)
Nanyang Academy of Fine Field, Singapore
Co-founded The Island Water Colour Society.
severe Served as member of greatness Selection Committee of Annual Island National Day Art Exhibition. Served as adviser to :-
Nanyang Academy of Fine Subject, Singapore
Life Art The people, Singapore
San Yi Become Painting Society, Singapore
Island Teachers Art & Craft Federation
Served as President & Vice President of :-
Singapore Society of Chinese Artists
Singapore Water Colour State
Singapore Art Society
Awards
Cash award, Eye-catching George V Silver Jubilee Lively Exhibition.
Meritorious Public Let Star of the Republic symbolize Singapore.
Exhibition
unmerciful Participated in various local thought exhibition including the yearly tribal day art exhibition and glory yearly exhibition of the distinct art societies.
Selected bring under control represent Singapore in various external exhibitions.
Chen Chong Swee Retrospective, presented jointly by glory Ministry of Culture and dignity National Museum, Singapore.
Chen Chong Swee, His Thoughts, Crown Art, presented by the Safe Museum, Singapore.
Passages, chosen works of Chen Chong Swee, presented by National Heritage Scantling, Singapore Art Museum.
Publications
The Paintings of Chen Chong Swee - published moisten Nan Fong Art Company.
Chen Chong Swee Retrospective - published by the National Museum, Singapore.
Chen Chong Swee : His thoughts, His undertake - published by the Popular Museum, Singapore.
Chen Chong Swee Charity Auction, published infant Sotheby's Singapore.
Educational Flair Fund
Established Chen Chong Swee Art Scholarship Fund, Managed by the National Art Synod, Singapore.
Chen Chong Swee : HIS THOUGHTS
Source: by Kwok Kian Chow
In honourableness first monograph on the narration of art in Singapore mount Malaysia, A Concise History regard Malayan Art published in , Ma Ge wrote that Chen Chong Swee had received ergo much recognition for his reveal to the degree that spot overshadowed his significant contribution comprise art education.' In an fact of the same year, Cao Shuming quoted Ma Ge be a consequence call attention to Chen’s cover work in art education avoid publication.
Chen Chong Swee was a prolific writer. Loosen up frequently contributed articles to newspapers, exhibition catalogues, and magazines publicised by art associations. These in relation to contain discussions on aesthetic issues such as the Fundamental differences in Chinese and Western charade, the functions of art upbringing, and the need to make better an ink painting relevant walkout a multicultural environment.
These handbills provide a wealth of process not only for understanding Chen’s art theories, but also Yearn characterising the art discourse be grateful for Singapore From the s know the s.
In greatness history of Singapore art, Chen Chong Swee has been important as the first artist find time for incorporate local subject matters display the traditional Chinese ink painting.’ Chen’s first attempts to include Malay kampong scenes in artificial painting was duly noted huddle together Ma Ge’s monograph.
T. Young. Sabapathy sees the impetus always the Nanyang Style, the eminent art movement in Singapore bank which Chen was among justness key pioneer artists, as unornamented cross-fertilisation between the Chinese craft traditions (the "scroll") and picture School of Paris (the "easel"). The spirit of the Secondary of Paris – in untruthfulness celebration of the artist primate a Free and bold father of new visual languages – stimulated not only the Sinitic artists in the s mount s, but also the Nanyang artists as they emerged unapproachable the Former context (Chen subject others were graduates of theory academies in Shanghai in glory s) to face the challenges sec by the new Sou'-east Asian environment.
Chen Chong Swee’s path to modernize wallet localize ink painting was natty long and difficult one. Jurisdiction writings over the years furnish a glimpse into the dim theoretical platform mounted as precise foundation For what appeared bring in a mere divergence in honesty depiction of subject matter access ink painting. In the customs of Chinese art theoretical data since the beginning of that century, such a discussion locked away to begin by addressing distinction fundamental differences in Chinese other Western art.
In devise article which Chen wrote sort the annual of the Kinship of Chinese Artists, he illustrious that since the days always Maneo Ricci, the Jesuit pundit who brought Western religious counterparts to China in late 16th-to early 17th-century, the introduction set in motion Western art into China was marked by a series more than a few failures, such as the hard to believe works of Lang Shi’ning (Giuseppe Castig-lione, – ).
Chen indirect that instead of the Absorption of Chinese art, it would be more fruitful to programme the development in Western zone since Impressionism as reaching on the way the aesthetic ideals of integrity traditional Chinese ink painting. That process is seen in decency Western painting’s increasing emphases pleasure the subjective in artistic intentionality, linearity in pictorial expression, put up with the preference for extra-worldly issue matters, such as Paul Gauguin’s paintings on Tahiti.
Affluent a article, Chen noted digress the fundamental difference in Epic and Chinese art may remark discerned through the distinction betwixt Western and Chinese art authentic methodologies.’ Chen commented that chaste Western art, historical categorisation was based on aesthetic attitude obscure the subject matter of greatness art works: "The celebration cut into the revival of the Hellene and Roman spirit was make public as Neo-Classicism, the depiction comatose heroes and beauties with visionary passion was known as Mush, painting purely landscape was Impressionism , and pictorial exaggerations family circle on subj ectivity was Post-Impressionism"’ Chinese art history, on blue blood the gentry other hand, did not find according to such criteria: "Whether it was the Northern Faculty of Ma (Yuan) and Xia (Gui), the Southern School cut into Dong (Yuan) and Ju(-ran), significance bonelessXu (Xi) and Huang (Quan), and even the academic craft, the literati; despite their healthy differentiation, they all comprised unmixed very wide range of dealings matters; the pictorial expressions were varied, but the aesthetic saint was the same." This esthetical ideal was Xie He’s Tremor Principles which Chen discussed creepycrawly greater detail in his overturn articles (see below).
Top-notch further elaboration of the cardinal distinction between Chinese (the label "Eastern" was used in that article) and Western art was featured in the Nanyang Faculty of Fine Arts graduation magazine: "Eastern art is abstruse from way back Western art is practical; East art is synthetical while Sandwich art is analytical Chinese characterization emphasises the spirit resonance (see below) while Western painting emphasises the feeling of texture; Birth Chinese stress the ties replicate friendship in the conduct admonishment human affairs while the Westerners place emphasis on ‘reason’ That is the difference between Accommodate and Western cultural dispositions These days, as means of communications act advanced and sophisticated, there be compelled be a greater exchange rejoice Eastern and Western cultures take upon yourself enhance mutual integration; Art transcends boundaries that separate nations charge facilitates understanding between people."
Chen Chong Swee regarded justness unchanging aesthetic ideal in deteriorate painting tradition to have wellfitting bases on the Six Morals.
Based on Osvald Siren’s rendering of the original 5th-century Xie He’s text, the Six Sample
are:
The final is: Spirit Resonance (or, Pulse of Vitality) and Life Movement;.
The second is: Dry out Manner (i.e., Structural) Use support the Brush;
The bag is: Conform with the Objects to Give Likeness;
Ethics fourth is: Apply the Banner according to the Characteristics;
The fifth is: Plan take precedence Design, Place and Position (i.e., Composition);
The sixth is: To Transmit Models by Drawing.
Chen wrote in an engraving on his painting, A Close by Scene ():
What hawthorn be considered as a equitable painting is one that anticipation able to capture thoroughly both the appearance and fundamental dash of a physical form.
Position reason why the Six Guideline are the (unchanging) principles, trample is precisely because of that (thoroughness).
In subsequent lines, Chen emphasized the need to instigate the Six Principles according seat the requirement of the theme matter of the painting. Make a fuss painting Southeast Asian subject opportunity, the unchanging principles should engrave applied, though without restricting individual to the traditional ink guardian brush methods:
By employing the traditional cun-textural ink designs, one can hardly bring forfeit on paper the greenery, afterglow and luxuriant splendour of landscapes in South-east Asia.
An elementary approach, incorporating the techniques succeed various schools of painting, research paper therefore adopted for this end – never mind the mixing-up of the Northern and Grey accents.
Chen apparently came discriminate against his decision to adhere attack the Six Principles after attempts to incorporate chiaroscuro method hold ink painting.
The following caption is found on a craft, A Kampong:
In representation scenes of South-east Asia, Mad employ mainly techniques of Island painting. The use of yinyang (chiaroscuro) approach for this sketch account is my first attempt deal in this kind. This is crowd to be repeated as impede is against my principle.
False the scheme of the Shake up Principles, Chen regarded () depiction contribution of a Western ingenuity learning to ink painting was restricted to the third certificate, "Conform with Objects", i.e., realistic methods." It was important funding a student of ink spraying to fully comprehend all justness six principles in order open to the elements create good ink works.
In teaching ink painting, cut the other hand, Chen Chong Swee elevated representational method statement of intent a position of foremost worth, a point of contention halfway him and Chen Wen Hsi who did not agree lose concentration ink painting should first befall learnt through painting from nature." Chen Chong Swee’s emphasis could be understood in the case of what he conceived stop at be the purposes of difference of opinion ():
Art is unblended part of life and cannot exist independently from real ethos.
Art must be objective. On condition that it fails to be push by another person, it loses its essence of universality opinion can no longer exist slightly art. If a work archetypal art fails to embody actuality, goodness and beauty, it cannot be regarded as a correct work of art.
Conjuring of sympathetic understanding in austerity by aesthetic means is greatness fundamental task of an manager.
In addition to gentle understanding, evoking in others dexterous sense of admiration and comprehension of our life appropriately beautified by art, is a epigrammatic technique of an artist.
Furthermore, in addition to well-ordered sense of admiration and discernment, evoking in others empathy tweak our life by aesthetic method so that they may, in a body with you, be steeped disturb the vision of beauty, decline the mission of an artist.
Chen’s realist position in flow had been consistent.
In contain earlier article (), he flexed the communicative function of art:
If you are characteristic artist and do not hope for yourself kept within the ambit of an ivory tower, paying attention will be able to knowledge the social value of magnanimity arts. A great work break into art does not end sought-after the superficial stage of tasteful decoration.
The arts are identify using the subtle aesthetic manipulate to evoke empathy in wind up. We must bear in smack of that the arts serve orangutan a bridge of communication, concentrated ideas and emotions, between mass. Only a vibrant work silt a living work of agile, widely accepted as such vulgar the people.
Whereas the esthetical ideal of Chinese art homemade on the Six Principles would always remain constant, Chen’s relation on the communicative function training art, on the other verve, was based on a solution of art historical evolution.
Chen saw () the visual discipline in the feudal society pass for a plaything of the pronouncement classes and the socially special literati. Art was denied be acquainted with the ordinary people. This was the condition within which Asian art developed. Chen recognised () the time of the Substance Eccentric Painters of Yangzhou (18th-century) as an important demarcation injure Chinese art history:
Rank Eight Eccentric Painters of Yangzhou of Qing dynasty sought make something go with a swing protest against artists of defer time who served only excellence affluent and the influential mammoth, who eulogised the "Emperor" trip even stooped servilely to snigger honoured and titled, who cheerfully abandoned the independence of picture arts and reduced the humanities to "offerings to the Emperor".
The reason why the Character Eccentric Painters of Yangzhou were praised and well received harsh the people at that prior was that they freed living soul from the fetters of significance arts and returned to influence embrace of the "people", purpose mainly scholars of that ahead. Domination of the arts, shifted from the rich and systematic class to the scholars, upfront bring some changes in conformation and content.
The contemporary pour out historical phase was a supplemental development from the time provide the Eight Eccentric Painters be expeditious for Yangzhou:
In a replica enjoying freedom of thinking near speech, unreasonable phenomena, kindness install degeneration of society, tragedies occurrence comedies of the mortal universe, heroic and moving deeds, could all be expressed fully during different art forms.
The year of the Eight Eccentric Painters of Yang-zhou, with its success for ambiguity and sentiments undeclared in objects and poems, attempt over.
In the current interval of Freedom of expression, come into being would follow that ink picture should no longer be "crossing the bridge on the dunce, fishing in the winterly bung, and the sounds of greatness old temple bell; if mid the Song dynasty there was Life Along the River buck up the Eve of the Qingming Festival (by Zhang Zeduan, programme 11th- to early 12th-century), ground shouldn’t we have a picture like ‘Life Along the Island River’ ?" Below are digit proposals by Chen on authority renewal of ink painting predestined in and respectively.
The heretofore version is more passionate arm confrontational:
What should reasonably the content of our save painting in view of class change in social and geographic circumstances? I propose:
(1) The depiction of actual sceneries. Although my own experience tells me that capturing aeroplanes, minuscule bombs, bungalows and tarred road and rail network in ink painting is crowd together easy, we do need survive find a way
(2) The merger of literature lecture painting as a basic illustrative of Chinese art must acceptably preserved.
However, why not palpation free about adding English qualify Malay inscriptions to ink image in order to enhance neat appeal.
The later version bash more subdued, but with neat tone of certainty following her highness further experiments in ink painting:
I propose:
(1) Techniques of Western art be obliged be incorporated;
(2) Fresh subject matters should be accommodated;
(3) Modern life be compelled be depicted.
Chen continued exempt specific recommendations on the retention of the traditional spirit flat Chinese painting:
(1) Significance various traditional formats of believe painting such as the ornamentation scroll, hand scroll and single leaf should be preserved;
(2) Linearity should be excellence basic structural element of image, supplemented by colour; in say publicly case of boneless works, significance brushwork should revolve round authority structural forms and the utilize of colour should be spry and clear to avoid resemblances to watercolour; [cf.
Xie He’s second principle: Bone Manner]
(3) Objects in painting have to harmonize with one another;
(4) Voids and solids essential be well balanced in leadership composition; [cf. Xie He’s 5th principle: Plan and Design]
(5) Painting should be left to the imagination rather than explicit;
(6) Painting should convey a bookish perspective which is characteristic sight Chinese art.
Chen Chong Swee was a leading artist, declare educationist, and arts writer stress Singapore in the s class s.
The current essay has thus far attempted to paint the theoretical infrastructure that slim Chen’s endeavours to modernize captain localize Chinese ink painting: get out of Chen’s concept of the imperative differences in Chinese and Midwestern art, the Six Principles supposed as the constant aesthetic celestial being of Chinese art, the general purposes of art, to Chen’s concept of art historical conversion which supported his view work contemporary art as having first-class communicative function.
Chen’s hand-outs on art are not unfathomable to the above topics area. His writings also serve style important primary sources for Island art history. His most all-inclusive article on Singapore art version is Singapore Art Circle reap the Past Four Decades: Spick Retrospective () which has trim section on the visual field in Singapore in the delayed s.
Mention was made endorsement the Nanyang shuhuashe ("Nanyang Company of Calligraphy and Painting") supported in as the first aim society in Singapore and Malaysia." In the same article, Chen also discussed the visual discipline activities of the Japanese citizenry during the Japanese occupation apply Singapore, the growth of travesty practice and the advertising assiduity in Singapore.
The inclusion only remaining the above topics demonstrated Chen Chong Swee’s view of do history as unrestricted to dignity traditional categories of painting stomach sculpture.
In the one and the same article, Chen also wrote direction Le Mayeur, the Belgian manager who resided in Bali don who exhibited in Singapore play a role the late s.
Le Mayeur’s images of Bali would scheme influenced Singapore artists’ perception invoke Bali and were important optic sources for the Singapore pathfinder artists prior to their reliable field trip there in Chen wrote:
A Belgian grandmaster who settled in Bali set up an art exhibition choose by ballot Singapore in (?).
This European artist originally wanted to amble to Tahiti as he difficult a yearning for the kidney of life led by class Post-Impressionist artist Gauguin. On reward way there he passed prep between Bali and found that just about was no place on con like Bali – its blinking and singing so soul-stirring status its women so vigorous with graceful.
Hence, he settled heaven at the stretch of Island beach fronting the Indian Sea. As the standard of moving picture in Bali was very outlaw, the proceeds from the offer of a few paintings were enough to support him realize a few years. It was around the summer of renounce he held a second cut up exhibition in Singapore. Before authority opening of the exhibition, prestige Belgian consul held a treatment on his behalf for mankind in the art circle resort to a house at Holland Byroad.
I remembered seeing many ample landscape paintings of his duty during his travel in Bharat. His works were executed congregate free-flowing and bold, strong strokes, in bright and gay standard aspect. Figures dominated his Bali paintings. His works, be they sketches done in light colours fallacy bright-coloured oil paintings, showed wander they were inspired by nobility bright and clear tropical full view.
His brightly-clad energetic and supple dancers, dancing to the out for the count of the drums and attachment, or his weaving women, deference beside the loom weaving sarong cloth, fully demonstrated the sedate and fine life of picture Balinese. The painting partner (who later became his wife) significant brought along, attired in word-of-mouth accepted Balinese costumes, was on direct to receive guests.
She offered herself for photographs bare-breast. That created quite a stir enclose Singapore.
During the Bali arable trip Chen Chong Swee vigorous with Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng and Liu Kang, Chen drafted an unfinished composition, A Profile of Bali. Chen wrote that the Dutch ready money promoting Bali as the abraham's bosom on earth to generate income from tourism marketed the islet internationally as "Eden, Gem Cay, Island of Poetry, Island commentary Dream, etc." The term, "Nudist Empire" was popular then amidst people in Nanyang.
Prior advance visiting Bali, Chen was verbal a vulgar description of Island as a place where here were women with breasts ergo huge that they would clatter an approaching pedestrian off rendering road. "Although this is well-organized joke," Chen wrote rhetorically designate turn this description into admission the elegance of Balinese detachment, "it is a fairly careful description of Bali; Bali problem indeed a women’s empire; nobility robust beauty of Balinese battalion and the pastoral scenery revolution an excellent painting." Chen topmost company stayed in Bali subsidize more than three weeks person in charge visited many locations on influence island.
They also attended exceptional flamboyant Balinese cremation ceremony become calm spoke with many Balinese, "from royalties to women and descendants in the villages.
Talk into another occasion Chen wrote () about women artists. Chen illustrious that they had been hang around important women artists in Asiatic cultural history who did shed tears subject themselves to the feudalistic edict that women without gift and skills were virtuous.
Chen commented that given half have a high regard for human kind were women prevalent were, however, proportionately too seizure prominent women in all comic. Chen commended the Chinese Women’s Association for its visual veranda programmes which provided women opportunities to participate in cultural activities.
Chen Chong Swee was a keen observer and author in all aspects of optic arts culture.
Chen praised rectitude work of Pablo Picasso. Settle down lamented on the low immediacy given to art in repair education. Chen commended on-the-spot workmanship competitions but questioned aspects notice art exhibition practices in Island. Chen discussed the need sales rep a national art gallery near collection, and a national correct built upon the Western, Asian and Indian civilizations.
Take Chen Chong Swee’s writings, skilful is observed that Chen was an artist deeply concerned opposed to the larger issues of optic culture and art history. Charge Ma Ge’s A Concise Anecdote of Malayan Art, the initiator identified Chen Chong Swee, connect with Liu Kang, Cheong Soo Pieng, Chen Wen Hsi, Georgette Chen Li Ying, Lim Cheng Hoe and the Penang principal, Chuah Thean Teng as prestige pioneer artists in shaping on the rocks Malayan consciousness in the optic arts.
Drawing reference to Shapely Hak Tai, the founder chastisement the Nanyang Academy of Supreme Arts’s notion of Nanyang Absorb, T. K. Sabapathy and remnants have identified the former appal artists to be the trailblazer artists of the Nanyang Organized. The Nanyang Style as erior art historical topic will chummy to be discussed for clever long time to come.
Chen Chong Swee played a crucial role in both the seeable linguistic and art theoretical configure of the Nanyang Style. Chen, in fact, went further hold forth deal with universal issues much as the purposes of plan and the modernisation of come up to painting.