Chen Cheng Mei, At Leisure, 1977
Oil on canvas
62 x 107 cm, 63 x 108.5 x 2.5 cm (framed)
Condition: Very good, with mould and surface accretion throughout the work. Minor paint loss observed in the centre left of the work.
Certificate of Authenticity from the Estate of Chen Cheng Mei available.
-
Chen Cheng Mei (Singaporean, 1927–2020) was a trailblazing artist whose quiet, resolute presence marked her as one of the few Singaporean women of her generation to sustain a lifelong artistic practice. A graduate of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1954, she studied under Cheong Soo Pieng and Lim Hak Tai, spending weekends sketching outdoors with them. Chen was part of the Ten Men Art Group and travelled across Southeast Asia with them, but it was after the group’s reconfiguration that she journeyed more extensively throughout not only Asia, but Africa and the Americas.
Chen's paintings, etchings, and prints are marked by a quiet intensity. While her works appear simple or naive, they reflect a sophisticated understanding of texture and form, honed through printmaking and a deep engagement with literature and the natural world. Chen’s ethos was shaped by her belief that culture is the backbone of a country. Her works form a personal visual diary, documenting lives across regions with quiet honesty. Often working outside the spotlight and at an intimate scale, Chen reminded us that art is not just about seeing, but feeling.
A rattan basket filled with greens, two women and two children lounging, and another woman in the background sorting through vegetables—this quiet scene captures a moment of pause. All the women are clad in similar tones, with one seated cross-legged in a dreamlike state, her expression reflective and pensive. This glimpse into break time among market women in the 1970s feels remarkably familiar, echoing the same rhythms we witness today. Across locations and decades, Chen had a distinctive way of portraying the working woman not just as a subject, but as a presence rooted in both labour and humanity.
Literature: Chen, Cheng Mei, Odyssey: Oil Works, Landmark Books, 2008, plate 105, unpaginated.
(Photographed in May 2025)