Untitled

In this oil painting by Ho Ho Ying, the layered black shapes occupy almost the entire surface of the picture. The shapes form a structurally complex cluster that is balanced and stable. In contrast, the background reveals nuances of shading and hued effects. During the 1960s, Ho Ho Ying played a pivotal role in promoting abstract art in Singapore. This work reflects the artist’s early experiments with abstract art and expresses his notion of the modern in art. Compared with his earlier abstract works, this painting shows a certain maturity in terms of compositional plane, tonal and brushstroke applications. It is also a prelude to Ho’s key creative concept in the decades to come—one that transforms calligraphic elements into abstract rhetoric. Ho’s promotion of abstract art has been widely recognised as an important contribution to the historical evolution of Singapore art. In 2012, he was awarded the Cultural Medallion by the Government of Singapore.