Synopsis

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This milestone publication, which will feature over 200 ink works by Singapore pioneer art master Cheong Soo Pieng (1917-1983), is the first known presentation to provide a retrospective survey of the artist’s entire body of ink work. Widely hailed as an influential Singapore artist and one of the most innovative Chinese artists of the 20th Century, Soo Pieng’s oeuvre has excited critics and collectors throughout his life, and even till today. The essay trace the trajectories, techniques and processes that gave rise to the various ink series across Soo Pieng’s career, and is a must-have publication for collectors of his works and all art enthusiasts.

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This book was published in conjuncture with the exhibition Tonalities: The Ink Works of Cheong Soo Pieng, held from 14 to 30 May 2021 at Artspace@Helutrans.

Tan Yong Jun (MPhil (World History), BA Hons (History), University of Cambridge) is an independent researcher and curator trained in cultural and intellectual history. His main research interests lie in global ink discourse, identity and art, and diasporic cultural expressions.