Lot Essay
In 1952, Cheong Soo Pieng together with Liu Kang, Chen Chong Swee and Chen Wen Hsi, made a ground-breaking trip to Bali. During their sojourn, the artists were able to shun the rapidly growing modernity of Singapore to concentrate on painting the kampung scenes that proliferated rural Indonesia.
One of the most striking aspects of the trip for Soo Pieng was his admiration for the multiple roles Balinese women played in the spheres of work, domesticity and ritual. The present lot is probably inspired by sketches done during a visit to Bali. Here, the artist renders an idyllic portrayal of motherhood in Sarawak. However, unlike European painters in Bali, Soo Pieng did not present woman as spectacle, for the viewing pleasure of men. Care has been taken in attributing the delicate balance of gesture, relationship and expressivity. In combining the Chinese technique of ink-painting on rice paper with a Balinese scene, Soo Pieng's understanding of and empathy towards living in Southeast Asia is revealed.
One of the most striking aspects of the trip for Soo Pieng was his admiration for the multiple roles Balinese women played in the spheres of work, domesticity and ritual. The present lot is probably inspired by sketches done during a visit to Bali. Here, the artist renders an idyllic portrayal of motherhood in Sarawak. However, unlike European painters in Bali, Soo Pieng did not present woman as spectacle, for the viewing pleasure of men. Care has been taken in attributing the delicate balance of gesture, relationship and expressivity. In combining the Chinese technique of ink-painting on rice paper with a Balinese scene, Soo Pieng's understanding of and empathy towards living in Southeast Asia is revealed.