Cheong Soo Pieng

Yeo Wei Wei, Seng Yu Jin, Grace Tng, Cheong Soo Pieng: Visions of Southeast Asia, The National Art Gallery, Singapore, 2010, p. 108

The work is in good condition. The canvas has been relined and striplined and appears to be in good condition. The paint layers are sound and stable. Indications of wear and handling, along with associated restorations are found along the edges and margins of the painting. However, restoration is visible only under ultraviolet light. Examination under ultraviolet light also reveals scattered areas of retouching in the background (mostly on the wall, on the right register and most notably on the lower right corner), as well as on the white head cloth. Restoration is not apparent to the naked eye. Minute spots of scattered minor dirt accretions are visible in the middle of the upper register (above the left hand). Some minor soft craquelures are found on the thicker paint areas but the paint layers are sound and stable. The colours of the actual painting are much more rich and vivid than the catalogue illustration. The green, for example, is a stronger emerald green in reality. Framed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

"As a major Nanyang artist, Soo Pieng's portrayal of Southeast Asia has often been assessed with reference to the pivotal 1952 trip to Bali with fellow artists Chen Wen Hsi, Chen Chong Swee and Liu Kang."
YEO WEI WEI, SENG YU JIN, GRACE TNG, Cheong Soo Pieng: Visions of Southeast Asia, THE NATIONAL ART GALLERY, SINGAPORE, 2010, P. 9

Cheong Soo Pieng's experiences in the fifties changed the way he portrayed Southeast Asia.  He was most innovative in his interpretation of the female figure, retaining the angularity and the black outlines that defines Chinese ink paintings, while expressing a decidedly Southeast Asian singularity: elongated limbs, almond-shaped eyes, chiselled jaws and golden skin. A 1950 sketch of a wayang kulit (shadow puppet) suggests an early fascination with the elongation of forms, which his trip to Bali in 1952 reinforced and brought to fruition and maturity.

Cheong Soo Pieng said, "I went [to] Bali on a sketching trip, and there I was fascinated by the scenery and by the Balinese women. I discovered that Balinese women are the ideal subject matter for me, and I made a good number of paintings, modern in feeling and to my own liking, many of which I do not wish to sell." (ibid., p. 92). The present owner recalls Cheong Soo Pieng giving an anecdote about the sitter being the first Balinese maiden he painted, thus the present work was originally in the artist's personal collection and was hanging at his studio at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts for some time before he agreed to part with it.

Untitled (Balinese Girl) exemplifies Cheong Soo Pieng's new aesthetic perfectly. Furthermore, it underlines a greater and more fundamental change, which is the freedom to veer away from the traditional constraints and ideological concerns of Chinese paintings. While he didn't completely adopt Cubism, nuances of the movement can be felt in spirit, primarily in the construction of lines and picture planes. Soo Pieng did not deconstruct the female form into geometric forms, like Braque or Picasso. Rather, like Modigliani, he transformed it into deft, fluid lines, rendering it a flat but sculptural effect. What seemed most important to Soo Pieng, however, was to infuse the vernacular essence of Bali into this unique artistic incarnation, which he accomplished successfully with colours. For example, the figure's batik's rich vermillion red recalls the petals of hibiscus flowers; the fresh green of the figure's sash echoes the lush foliage; the girl's ochre skin illustrates the warmth of the golden sun. These colours are typically Balinese and has characterised the palette of another great artist living in Bali, Adrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès. When Soo Pieng showed his Balinese oeuvre in Singapore, the result was something completely out of the ordinary, particularly for an art scene more familiar with sceneries and still life.

Cheong Soo Pieng's masterful integration of multicultural elements – Chinese, Western, Malayan, Singaporean, Indonesian – laid the foundation for the Nanyang style. It is due to Cheong Soo Pieng's astuteness and vision that it is still relevant in the present day as an insightful perception of Southeast Asian, and specifically, Singaporean, culture. Untitled (Balinese Girl) is a rare and important example of this achievement and is a testament to the seminality of Cheong Soo Pieng's sojourn in Bali.