Singapore, National Museum Art Gallery, Chen Wen Hsi Retrospective 1982, 7 - 22 November 1982, no. C14

Chen Wen Hsi Retrospective 1982, Ministry of Culture and the National Museum, Singapore, colorplate C14

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. Any inconsistencies and creasing are inherent to the work. Framed, under Plexiglas.
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Regarded as the doyen of Chinese-brush artists in Singapore, Chen Wen Hsi is widely celebrated for his ability to bring to life the wonders of nature. Chief amongst his subjects were gibbons and herons native to his birthplace, China.

Though he is famous for 🎃his images of gibbons in the meticulous gong-bi style, his paintings of Herons offer a different avenue of experimentation. He would use his artistic liberty to paint th🌃em in a more contemporary art style.

Herons is the result of an unusual pairing; the t🧸raditional ink and wash technique coupled with a touch of cubism. The masterful creation pays homage to the elegance of the herons through the emphasis of the fowls’ elongated necks and legs while expounding 🍎on the beauty of their plumage through a gentle tonal gradation.

A subtle range of colours grace the painting, ushering in 💯a sense of tranquillity, while the absence of distractions and the negative space in the background draws attention to the flock. The herons, grouped intimat🦩ely close to one another, suggest a heartening sense of kinship and security.