Chen Chong Swee, and the Singaporean Salon March 30th, 2009
Sotheby’s Auction House hosted a charity event in 1994. The intention was to raise one million dollars, which would go to sponsor visual artists. One hundred fifty one pieces of art were sold at this auction, and the majority of them were by the artist Chen Chong Swee. This is an interesting fact considering that Swee was well known not only for his artwork but also as a teacher. Swee taught in many schools and was known for his lectures on Chinese Ink Painting. He was born in China in 1910 and studied art, with a focus on water color and ink printing, at Xinhua Academy of Fine Arts. He moved to Singapore after he graduated.
Swee had a style of of own, which was a blend of traditions modernized to fit his personal concepts. His life in Singapore had a strong influence on his art and was the primary reason for his venturing away from traditional styles of painting. This did not remove the fact he was grounded in the theories he learned from his studies at Xinhua. One tradition in particular to which he stayed true was idea writing, which was the art of putting written words into the painting. The intention with this practice was to assist the viewer with the story and or meaning behind the paintings. Swee believed strongly that the task of the artist lies in communication with the public. He was considered to be a modern painter, however his emphasis was on forging a connection to the viewer.
In 1953 Swee founded the Salon Art Society. Also in that year he went to Bali with three other prominent artists. It was during this trip that he, Chen Hen Hsi, Lui Kan and Cheong Soo Pieng gained the inspiration for a new theory of painting and founded the Nanyang School. Each of these artists had been established in their own right, and their paintings had been seen in the best galleries and boutique hotels in Singapore. After this trip they had their first group show. The collection for this exhibit was a selection of works they completed while in Bali. Much of their inspiration came from the beauty of the country. These artists remain well known today and are strong sources of inspiration for new artists.
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