Chen Cheng Mei, Construction, 2004

Etching on paper
44 x 60 cm 
Condition: Very good
Edition 3 of 4
Certificate of Authenticity from the Estate of Chen Cheng Mei available.

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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.

This scene depicts labourers at a construction site, immersed in a sea of brown as they work under the harsh glare of the sun. The vivid colours convey the intensity of the heat, capturing the physical strain of the moment. Chen does not romanticise or glorify her subjects; instead, she presents them as they are. In doing so, she preserves the often overlooked realities behind the rapid development of nations like Singapore.

(Photographed in May 2025)