CHEONG SOO PIENG, (Singaporean, 917-1983)
Balinese Dance, Oil on canvas, 134 x 87.5 cm, 52 ¾ x 34 ⅜ in.), Painted in 1953

Christie’s announces Convergences: A Special Sale of Singapore Art to take place on 29 November, as part of Christie’s Hong Kong Autumn 2015 Auction Week.

To mark the golden jubilee of Singapore’s national independence, this carefully curated sale will feature a selection of more than 40 outstanding works by some of the most renowned modern and contemporary Singapore artists. This is the first time that an international auction house dedicates an individual sale to Singapore art, a category which has been increasingly attracting international collectors in recent years.

The top lot of the sale is Balinese Dance, one of Cheong Soo Pieng’s masterpieces and an impressive example of the artist’s early oil paintings (illustrated above left). To be offered for the first time at auction, this work was created during the years following his famous 1952 trip to Bali, which marked a turning point in Singapore modern art. Depicting a supremely dramatic moment in a ritual performance featuring what locals call the Leak- an iconic mythological figure in Balinese folklore, this is one of the largest works executed by Cheong Soo Pieng in the early 1950s.

CHEN WEN HSI (Singaporean, 1906-1992), Sea Palace, Oil on canvas, 80 x 100 cm. (31 1/2 x 39 3/8 in.), Painted circa late 60s – early 70s

Christie’s sale will also feature one of the most comprehensive collection of top quality works by Chen Wen Hsi, while numerous artists will make their auction debut, such as emerging contemporary painter Ruben Pang with Light the Caretaker. This signature work explores colour, form and transparency, by employing a full chromatic range to render wispy, ethereal figures in dynamic motion. Drawing from a multiplicity of visual cultures, Ruben Pang’s works constitute a new orientation in contemporary Singapore art.

Showcasing the diversity of expression in Singapore ink modern and contemporary art, Christie’s auction will also feature poignant paintings by Chua Ek Kay, Tan Oe Pang and Tan Swie Hian.

A selection of highlights from ‘Convergences’ will be exhibited in Singapore.

Opening days: 6 – 8 November 2015
Viewing Times: 11am – 7pm
Venue: ArtSpace@Helutrans, 39 Keppel Road, Singapore 089065