A Chinese Vermillion Tone

"I absorb the ideas of Chinese calligraphy and landscape, and because I am Chinese, they are always in my mind." – Cheong Soo Pieng (Steinle, Peggy. 'Experimental Artist: Cheong Soo Pieng', Arts of Asia, July/August 1972 Vol. 2:4)

From portraits filled with primal tension, to poetic abstraction, to stylised depictions of traditional way of living, Cheong Soo Pieng’s artistic explorations spanned across countless styles and medium with no sign of rest, making the artist an undeniable Modernist pioneer in Singapore and Asia. A Chinese Vermillion Tone is exemplary of his trailblazing spirit and versatility; it marks a pivotal transition towards abstractionism during his journey across Europe from 1961 to 1963.

EASTERN ABSTRACT TO THE WEST
From 1961 to 1963, under the auspices of Singaporean filmmaking magnate Loke Wan Tho, Cheong visited London, Glasgow, Dublin, Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and other European cities to host exhibitions. London’s prestigious Modern Art galleries Frost and Reed and Redfern even organised solo shows for him, making Cheong one of the first Singaporean artists to have individual exhibitions in Europe. A Chinese Vermillion Tone was one of the works shown at his solo exhibition at Redfern Gallery in 1963, and it opened European collectors’ eyes to the fascinating aspects of Eastern abstractionism, with the artist’s uniquely supple and calligraphic brushstrokes, unorthodox Eastern colour scheme, and philosophical approach combining nature with his state of mind.

THE ABSTRACT LANDSCAPE
The challenge to adequately express Eastern civilisation’s idea of “nature and humanity as one” in transnational terms had been a fixture among 20th-century artists in Asia. In A Chinese Vermillion Tone , Cheong adopted lighting and compositional cues from English landscape paintings to dot the “sun” above the centre point of the canvas, making it the painting’s primary focal point. The vermillion surrounding the glow also reveals layers and variations like billowing clouds, while the “horizon line” across the painting again hint at influences from Western landscape styles. At the same time, however, the distant scenery in the centre, depicted in black, also echo the multi-point perspective compositional style of Chinese ink wash landscape works. The calligraphic lines flowing across the lower half of the canvas are an exercise in simplicity, hinting at small paths like crossing streams in the foreground, and condense the spiritual connection between heaven and earth into a single freeze frame.

This idea to present nature’s liveliness through abstract colours and brushstrokes coincide with other Asian artists such as Zao Wou-Ki and Chu Teh-Chun, who also lived in Europe at that time. Mere months after Cheong’s exhibition at Redfern in 1963, the gallery also hosted Zao Wou-Ki’s solo exhibition to similarly great acclaim. If one saw Zao Wou-Ki and Chu Teh-Chun as using dynamic brushstrokes to express the heaving storms in their hearts, Cheong can be said to use ephemeral lines, sublimed colour blocks, and nuanced brushstrokes to express the delicate and transcendent side of Asian cultures.

THE SPIRITUAL REALM OF RED
Passion, density, celebration, fortune, life… the colour red is rich in symbolism in Eastern cultures. The shade of vermillion can be even seen in Han Dynasty artefacts from over 2,000 years ago, as a holy colour used to communicate with the Gods. A Chinese Vermillion Tone takes its deftly-executed blooms and contrasts to highlight the unique spiritual existence of vermilion. Compared with blue or green, red is a much rarer colour in nature, which helps impact and move viewers on a subconscious level. Indian artist Anish Kapoor also took the traditional colour red and elevated it to its pure form, transporting viewers to a state of spirituality. Unlike Kapoor’s sombre hue of scarlet, Cheong chose Chinese culture’s iconic vermillion as the primary tone and used a masterful stroke of aquamarine to accentuate the vibrancy of red. A Chinese Vermillion Tone exhibits Cheong’s extraordinary understanding of colour and brushstrokes, his masterful integration of landscape and abstraction, and leads viewers into the mythical realm of Eastern culture.