Cheong Soo Pieng: Layer by Layer

Step into a fascinating world of stories within leading Singaporean artist Cheong Soo Pieng’s artworks with National Gallery Singapore’s new exhibition Cheong Soo Pieng: Layer by Layer. Opening on 5 April, this free exhibition is Southeast Asia’s first to use in-depth material analysis, through tools such as x-ray scans and infrared photography to reveal fresh insights into Cheong’s artistic processes and innovative use of materials. Layer by Layer breaks down Cheong’s practice for visitors of all ages through an engaging exhibition experience. Through a series of interactive stations that bring the science of studying paintings to life, visitors will gain a deeper understanding of Cheong’s trailblazing practice through discovery, investigation, and play.

Cheong Soo Pieng: Layer by Layer is the first in the Singapore Artist series, comprising four special solo exhibitions spotlighting Singaporean artists namely Teo Eng Seng, Kim Lim, and Lim Tze Peng at National Gallery Singapore in 2024. Together they set the stage for the Gallery to build upon its longstanding commitment to Singaporean artists and create new experiences for its visitors while advancing and enriching appreciation of our local arts and cultural heritage.

Layer by Layer presents over 30 paintings by Cheong from the 1950s to the 1980s. The exhibition extends across three sections that explore fundamental questions about the creative process: “What makes a painting?”, “When is a painting complete?”, and “What is painting?”. Exhibition curator Teo Hui Min collaborated with Dr Diana Tay, conservator and founder of BARC Labs who provided her expertise on material analysis and worked with conservators from the Heritage Conservation Centre to conduct the analyses presented in this unique exhibition. The team also worked with radiographers from the Singapore General Hospital who provided access to the hospital’s equipment for the X-ray scanning of selected artworks.