Chen chong swee biography examples
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Unfettered Ink 妙笔丹青
The Writings of Chen Chong Swee 陈宗瑞文集
Published in 2017 by National Gallery Singapore
Reproduced Courtesy of the publisher
On the value of Art Education
According to historical records, art education began in the Zhou dynasty (500 BC) in China. At that time, the Six Arts formed the basis of education and included rituals, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy and mathematics (rituals and music would today constitute “art education”). Among the Six Arts, rituals and music were considered the most important components. Around the same time, the Greek philosopher Aristotle also stressed the importance of art education and included it in school curriculum. Zhang Yuanyuan of the Tang dynasty opined ”What dictates human life is art. Empowered to translate the human’s rational mind into love and emotions, art spreads the complete affection of a mere few individuals to many others.” Words spoken by these celebrated ancient and modern Chinese and Western personages ethics that is essential to all of humanity.
However, the development of art education in history has been greatly compromised. The economy of the feudal system and autocratic rule in ancient China made art the mere plaything of royalty, and a way for the literati class to pass the
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The Bali Grassland Trip, Liu Kang, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Steatocystoma Hsi spreadsheet Cheong Soo Pieng
Kwok Kian Chow
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Chen Chong Swee
Chen Chong Swee was a Singaporean watercolourist belonging to the pioneer generation of artists espousing the Nanyang-styled painting unique to Singapore, at the turn of the 20th century. He was also one of the first artists in Singapore to use Chinese ink painting techniques to render scenery and figurative paintings of local and Southeast Asian themes.
Born in Swatow, Chen attended school at the Union High School in Swatow, China and graduated in 1929. He attended and graduated from Xinhua Academy of Fine Arts in 1931, and arrived in Singapore that same year. He taught art at various secondary schools, before becoming a lecturer of the Chinese ink painting department at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. He advocated tradition in his Chinese ink painting style.
Chen's training in Xinhua firmly grounded him in traditional principles of Chinese painting. This also includes his inclination towards the ancient Chinese tradition of painting as "idea writing", using inscriptions to fortify the meanings of the paintings.