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. ‘Construction’, a metal relief, looks into 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.
