Cheong Soo Pieng is regarded as a pivotal figure in Singapore’s modern art development. Born in Xiamen (Amoy), China in 1914, he was part of a group of artists that attempted to articulate a style identifiable and pertinent to post-war Singapore, then known collectively with Malaysia, as Malaya. This style, later crystallized as the Nanyang Style, provided a foundation upon which future generations of artists learned and expanded on. ‘Figure’, a metal relief, is another example of Cheong’s little-known body of assemblage works. Ever the innovative artist, he would make use of everyday materials and recycle them into works of art. Studying the composition, one can observe his articulation of the figure.
