Cluster Stop: First Singapore Solo Exhibition

Chen had only been in Penang for two years before her first solo exhibition opened at the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce in 1953. This remarkable achievement was a significant marker of Chen’s arrival in Malaya. The four paintings you see here were among some 80 paintings exhibited at this 1953 show. It included works from Chen’s earlier travels around China and America, which presented Chen as a well-travelled and established artist. She also displayed works featuring the Malayan landscape for the first time at this exhibition. Chen was enchanted with her new home in the tropics, and wanted to capture the light and landscapes around her. Batu Ferringhi (Penang), on your left, illustrates Chen’s skill in painting en plein air, or outdoors. She depicts the strong sunlight filtering through palm leaves as short, quick brushstrokes in various shades. Chen wrote in her diary that she completed the painting in five days, putting in steady hours of work each day. Tin Mine (Ipoh), on the wall to your left, further demonstrates Chen’s interest in regional travel during her years in Malaya. Notice the richness of the multiple shades of brown, orange and red tones Chen deliberately chose to present the rugged landscape. These colours are further highlighted by her strategic use of cool greys and blue. In painting these landscapes, Chen adapted the intensity and colour of her palette to best capture the atmosphere of her different environments. This exhibition also included this striking Self Portrait. Painted shortly after World War II in 1946 while Chen was in China, the intimate scale of the self-portrait emphasises Chen’s resolve and focus in presenting herself as a professional artist. Her profile fills the entire frame, firmly establishing her presence.