Chen Wen Hsi

Chen Wen Hsi (Chinese: 陈文希; pinyin: Chén Wénxī), is one of Singapore's pioneer artists, known for his avant-garde Chinese paintings.

He was born in Baigong in Guangdong province, and had his early education at Chen Li Primary School and St. Joseph Middle School.

After graduation from secondary school, Chen Wen Hsi decided to study full-time in fine art at the Shanghai College of Art in 1928, despite his uncle's objection. Unhappy with the college, Chen transferred to the Xinhua College of Art in Shanghai, where he was taught by renowned artists such as Pan Tianshou, with half of his classmates a year later. It was at Xinhua that he became acquainted with Chen Jen Hao, Chen Chong Swee and Liu Kang, all of whom were to become Singapore's Nanyang pioneer artists and art educationists. After four years at Xinhua, Chen graduated and returned to his hometown.

Career

After getting married at his hometown, Chen Wen Hsi went to Swatow in 1929, at the age of 21. He left China in 1947, and since then he continued to have solo exhibitions in other parts of Asia: Shanghai (1931, 1933), Guangzhou (1932, 1936), Saigon (1948), Hong Kong (1949), Bangkok – Kuala Lumpur (1949), and Bangkok-Singapore (1950). In 1937, he received recognition and praise of Chinese painter Xu Beihong at the second Chinese National Art Exhibition in Nanjing. In the same year, an English arts magazine elected him as one of contemporary China's ten greatest artists.