Chen Cheng Mei, Longevity Peach, 1990

Etching on paper
56 x 38 cm, 69 x 51 x 2 cm (framed)
Condition: Very good
Edition of 12
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.

Etching was one of Chen’s most favoured mediums. She viewed printmaking as a process of discovery; an essential companion to painting that revealed the technical discipline behind image-making. To her, etchings were not merely preparatory studies, but rigorous exercises that deepened her understanding of form. This particular work depicts a peach, a symbol of longevity and immortality in Chinese culture, underscoring how Chen often wove cultural significance into even the simplest of subjects.

This work is framed.

(Photographed in May 2025)