Wong Keen, Pink Lady, 2010, acrylic on canvas
Of Human Bondage – a relationship with Nudes
Showcasing 38 works from 22 artists from Asia and beyond; comprising of drawings, mixed media and Chinese ink on paper, oil on canvas and sculptures.
After a prolonged hiatus this year due to COVID, The Culture Story is delighted to announce an exclusive display from the Chong H.S. art collection, most of which has not been publicly displayed before. Centered around the theme of “nude”, Mr Chong personally curated 38 works of various sizes and medium by 22 artists from Singapore, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, China, Australia, Britain, USA, Mexico that were acquired and collected over the last 30 years.
Inspired by the great British playwright and novelist William Somerset Maugham (b. 1874 – d. 1965) who wrote the semi-autobiographical novel “Of Human Bondage” in 1915. Inspired by Maugham, Mr Chong borrowed his masterpiece Of Human Bondage as the title for the exhibition. “This exhibition represents one area of my collecting interest over the past thirty years. Like Maugham in Bondage, I like to share stories of my collection journey, many of which are personal, humorous and if I dare say so entirely memorable. This is therefore not an essay about the artists but a chronicle of how and why I acquired their art. Of particular interest would be seldom seen nude paintings from our Singapore artists including early works by our senior artists, such as Lim Yew Kuan, Chua Mia Tee, Tang Da Wu, Wong Keen, Siew Hock Meng, Tan Chor Tee, Lee Boon Wang and Teng Ngee Cheong.” – Chong H.S.
The exhibition is accompanied by an English and Chinese essay written by Mr Chong.
English Essay_Of Human Bondage
Chinese Essay_Of Human Bondage (translated by Jocelyn Koh)
Installation View
Artist Names
Agus Suwage, Armando Amaya, Ben Cabrera, Chen Junde, Chloe Ho, Chua Mia Tee, Fu Lei, Greg James, Huang Lijuan, Kathy McNally, Lee Boon Wang, Liu Bing Jiang, Long Rui, Rajesh Kargutkar, Robert Kipniss, Siew Hock Meng, Sydney Harpley, Tan Choh Tee, Tang Da Wu, Teng Nee Cheong, Tew Nai Tong, Wong Keen
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In conjunction with SEA Focus (20 – 31 Jan 2021), we held SEA Focus VIP guests on Saturday 23rd Jan 2021.
