Exhibition features renowned S’pore artists’ relationships with schools

SINGAPORE – The private art collections of five schools, reflecting their close ties with renowned local artists, are on public display together for the first time.

Catholic High School, Chung Cheng High School, Dunman High School, Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) and Nanyang Girls’ High School are featuring their heirlooms in Treasures Of Our Schools: From Cheong Soo Pieng To Lim Tze Peng.

The exhibition from May 31 to June 30 at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) features 85 works of art, including rare oil paintings, ink paintings and calligraphy in diverse styles.

Collectively, they show the unique styles of the artists and the evolution of Singapore art from the 1950s to the present day.

Many of the 28 artists showcased, including Cheong Soo Pieng, Liu Kang, Chua Ek Kay, Wong Keen and Lim Tze Peng, were from the five schools.

“Schools play a critical early role in sparking young people’s interest in art. A caring teacher or encouraging principal can do wonders to boost students’ confidence to pursue their artistic interests,” SCCC chief executive Low Sze Wee told The Straits Times.

Unlike the collections in museums, the schools’ collections reflect the relationships they have with the artists, he added.

“Schools provided a livelihood for artists and a platform for them to nurture younger generations of artists and art lovers.

“This exhibition provides a good opportunity to develop a better understanding of such networks of relationships in our local art scene,” said Mr Low.

Chinese High School’s former principal, Mr Cheng An Lun, convinced local philanthropist Lee Kong Chian to buy the works of students like Chia Yu Chian and Wong Keen to support their overseas education.

Chung Cheng High School’s former principal Chuang Chu Lin, who helmed the school from 1939 to 1957, took a personal interest in his students’ artistic pursuits, and set aside resources to build a well-equipped art studio in the school for them, Mr Low said.

“Such nurturing efforts would bear fruit when graduates from these schools – such as painter Wong Keen from Chinese High and Lim Tze Peng from Chung Cheng – eventually became well-known artists,” he said.

One of the works on display is Chua Ek Kay’s 1975 ink and colour painting Orchid, from Catholic High School’s collection.

It is among 25 paintings the artist donated to his alma mater before he died in 2008.

In the 1960s, the Cultural Medallion recipient had studied in the school, where he was exposed to classical Chinese poetry, which inspired his poetic inscriptions on some of his paintings.

HCI, established in 2005 with the merger of Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior College, has 23 works of art on display at the exhibition.

Many of them were painted and contributed by its former art teachers and alumni in the early days for fund raising.

These include works by former teachers Cheong Soo Pieng, Liu Kang, Chen Wen Hsi and Chen Chong Swee, as well as second-generation artists such as Chia Yu Chian, Mak Kum Siew and Wong Keen.

Many of them blended Eastern and Western styles to create a distinctive “Nanyang style” art form, which is an important part of Singapore’s artistic heritage and culture.

These works of art were bought by alumni to raise funds for their alma mater, and were later donated back to the school for safekeeping.

Most of these works are housed in HCI’s

Kuo Chuan Centennial Art Gallery.

“The collection and preservation of works of art by former Hwa Chong art teachers and alumni are significant to the school”, said Mr Tan Pheng Tiong, a dean at HCI who oversees the gallery.

“They not only allow students to understand Singapore’s development in the early years, but also highlight the role the school and our art teachers have played in the development of local art history.”

Mr Tan added: “Art education allows students to explore humanistic connotations. Besides developing an appreciation for the arts, this approach can better inspire them to care for themselves, love life, and harmoniously integrate with nature. Additionally, art education can stimulate students’ creative thinking, enabling them to view society from different perspectives.”

Admission to the exhibition is free. It is from May 31 to June 30, 10am to 8pm, at the SCCC Multi-Purpose Hall, Level 7.