Organisers: He Xiangning Art Museum, National Gallery Singapore
Directors: Cai Xianliang, Eugene Tan
Curators: Cai Heng, Lim Shujuan, Yi Donghua
Curatorial Assistance: Zhou Jinchang, Li Junjun, Alexis Chen
Project Managers: Chen Bin, Lin Fan, Lynn Poh
Artwork & Exhibition Management: Yu Xiangzhi, Johnny Chen,Yvette Lai, Grace Loke, Muhammad Afg Danial Bin Azman,Thong Ming Woei
Programmes: Luo Siying, Jermaine Huang, Alicia Teng, Yang Yilin, Lenette Lua
Marketing: Zhao Yue, Huang Ruijie, Sarah Leong, Amelia Loh
Exhibition Design: BREEZE Design
“I could be described as the product of four historical events all wars two World Wars and two Chinese Revolutions, in all of which somehow, I was inextricably and inexorably involved. As a result, my life too could be divided into four chapters in four countries… In the midst of these upheavals, the surprising thing or perhaps not so surprising after all is that my life's work should have been art, a labour so entirely of love, patience and peace.”
(Chen, Singapore Art Society’s 20th Anniversary Magazine, 1969)
Georgette Chen, Zhang Liying ( 张荔英 ) (b. 1906, China; d. 1993, Singapore) is a pioneering figure in the development of modern art in Singapore. Born to the prominent merchant and political figure Zhang Jingjiang and married to Eugene Chen, a distinguished diplomat of the Republic of China, Chen led a peripatetic lifestyle, moving between cosmopolitan cities including Shanghai, New York, Paris, Hong Kong and Singapore. She eventually settled in Singapore in 1953, making it her home for the rest of her life. Alongside her dedication to art practice, Chen taught for many years at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore. In 1982, she was awarded the Singapore Cultural Medallion in recognition of her outstanding artistic achievements and significant contributions to art education. Despite the turbulence of her life—marked by socio-political upheavals throughout the first half of the 20th century—she remained steadfast in her commitment to her art, believing her role was to depict the life of people as it is in reality, vivacious, fresh, and spirited. She skillfully blended realist and modernist methods to encapsulate the essence of her surroundings.
Although she wished to return to China one day, Chen was never able to do so during her lifetime. This exhibition is the first comprehensive retrospective of her work in China since her solo exhibition in Shanghai in 1947. Featuring over 60 artworks, the exhibition traces her artistic journey across Europe and Asia from the 1930s to the 1970s. It highlights her exploration of a distinctive artistic identity through cross-regional movement and continual engagement with diverse cultures.
