Untitled

Born in Singapore in 1959, Henri Chen Kezhan is a graduate from Baharuddin Vocational Institute (1979) and the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris (1986). He was also a student of eminent artists Fan Chang Tien (1907-1987) and Zhao Shao-ang (1905-1998). Since 1977, Chen has exhibited in solo and group shows locally and internationally, and in 2001 he was one of four artists who represented Singapore in the 49th Venice Biennale. In 1985, Chen was awarded the silver medal by the Salon des Artistes France and in 1993, the Young Artist Award by the Singapore government.An avid gardener and a meticulous observer, Chen often uses his own plants as the subject of his art. In this, one of the earliest works by him in the NHB Collection, translucent washes and sweeping brushstrokes create an energetic and rhythmic composition.