Shenzheners now have a rare opportunity to view 62 oil paintings on loan from the National Gallery Singapore, presenting the work of Georgette Chen (1906-1993), a Chinese-Singaporean artist whose cross-cultural life shaped a distinctive voice in 20th-century modern art.

The exhibition — “Georgette Chen: At Home in the World” at the He Xiangning Art Museum — reunites her paintings created between the 1930s and 1970s with archival material, inviting a fresh reassessment of her contribution in Southeast Asian modern art.

Visitors admire paintings in a space decorated in a Southeast Asian style. Photos by Cao Zhen

Born in eastern China’s Zhejiang Province, Chen was a daughter of Zhang Jingjiang, a merchant and senior Kuomintang official. She studied art in Shanghai, New York, and Paris before settling in Singapore in 1953. In Paris, she combined classical realist technique with modernist experimentation, broadening her outlook through salons and exhibitions.

Married to Chinese diplomat Eugene Chen, she continued to paint through periods of war, remaining committed to what she called “capturing life as it is — vivid, pulsating, and brimming with vitality.”

Visitors admire Georgette Chen’s paintings at the exhibition.

The Shenzhen retrospective spans still lifes, landscapes and portraits that fuse Western oil techniques with Eastern memory. From everyday street scenes to tropical vistas, Chen’s canvases trace her travels and the distinctive visual languages that emerged across different cultural contexts.

Whether in China or Singapore, Chen was drawn to landscapes, ordinary life, household objects and food — subjects she rendered with attentive observation and vivid expression that reflect an enduring appreciation for life.

A painting depicting tropical fruits.

Though influenced by French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, she favored precision and clarity in her brushwork. Her palette is grounded in reality yet bold and exuberant; colors are sensitively modulated and clearly delineated, enlivening flowers, fruit, figures and vistas.

Works painted in Singapore, featuring tropical scenes and the daily lives of diverse ethnic communities, are especially bright and energetic, with lively brushwork conveying warmth and comfort. These multifaceted portrayals reflect Chen’s nuanced engagement with Singapore’s cultural landscape.

This is the first comprehensive showcase of Chen’s career in China since her 1947 solo exhibition in Shanghai. The exhibition also coincides with the 35th anniversary of China-Singapore diplomatic ties in 2025, underscoring cultural exchange between the two countries.

Dates: Until Dec. 7

Venue: He Xiangning Art Museum, Nanshan District (何香凝美术馆)

Metro: Line 1 to OCT Station (华侨城站), Exit C