Organisers: He Xiangning Art Museum, National Gallery Singapore

Directors: Cai Xianliang, Eugene Tan
Curators: Cai Heng, Lim Shujuan, Yi Donghua
Curatorial Assistance: Zhou Jinchang, Li Junjun, Alexis Chen
Project Managers: Chen Bin, Lin Fan, Lynn Poh
Artwork & Exhibition Management: Yu Xiangzhi, Johnny Chen,Yvette Lai, Grace Loke, Muhammad Afg Danial Bin Azman,Thong Ming Woei
Programmes: Luo Siying, Jermaine Huang, Alicia Teng, Yang Yilin, Lenette Lua
Marketing: Zhao Yue, Huang Ruijie, Sarah Leong, Amelia Loh
Exhibition Design: BREEZE Design

I could be described as the product of four historical events—all wars—two World Wars and two Chinese Revolutions, in all of which somehow, I was inextricably and inexorably involved. As a result, my life too could be divided into four chapters in four countries… In the midst of these upheavals, the surprising thing or perhaps not so surprising after all is that my life-work should have been art, a labour so entirely of love, patience and peace.

Chen, Singapore Art Society’s the 20th Anniversary magazine, 1969

This exhibition marks a poignant reunion across time and borders—presenting the first comprehensive showcase of Georgette Chen’s (1906–1993) artistic journey in China since her landmark 1947 solo exhibition in Shanghai. A pivotal figure in the development of modern art in Singapore, Chen’s life unfolded as a dynamic cultural dialogue. Born into an illustrious merchant family in China, the renowned diplomat of the Republican era, Eugene Chen. Her life took her across global capitals—Shanghai, Paris, New York and Hong Kong—before she eventually made Singapore her home. Despite experiencing the upheavals of war and displacement, she remained unwavering in her artistic ideals, committing herself to what she described as “capturing life as it is—vivid, pulsating, and brimming with vitality.”Drawing on Modernist techniques and responding intuitively to the cultural landscapes around her, Chen developed a distinctive brushwork that distilled the spirit of each place she encountered.

This exhibition is the culmination of an enduring scholarly partnership between National Gallery Singapore and He Xiangning Art Museum, initiated during the latter’s visit in 2018. Spanning two floors, the retrospective features 62 carefully selected works that chart Georgette Chen’s artistic trajectory over four transformative decades (1930s–1970s). From everyday street scenes to vibrant foreign vistas, the exhibition invites viewers to experience Chen’s richly woven life through the prism of her global travels—and to witness, through her painterly lens, the rise and evolution of modern art movements in 20th-century China and Asia, along with the distinctive visual languages they inspired across diverse cultural contexts.