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. ‘Composition I’, an assemblage of metal parts continues Cheong’s formal experimentions beyond the painting and sculpture genres. In this assemblage work, the composition seems to include dismembered metal parts which have been recycled and given a new life. Although the composition might be random, there seems to be an order of sorts, mimicking an assortment of dishes on a tray. However Cheong’s imaginative and sometimes childlike creations, often leave his works open to a vast range of interpretations.
