Chen Jen Hao (b. 1908, Fuzhou, Fujian, China - d. 28 October 1976, Singapore) was a pioneer artist and art educator who made tremendous contributions to the art scene in Singapore. As an artist, he was best known for his Chinese calligraphy, though he was proficient in Western and Chinese painting as well. He was also one of the early art teachers at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), thus helping to lay a strong foundation for art education and training in Singapore.
Education and employment
Chen was born to a wealthy family of government officials in Fuzhou, China. After completing his secondary education in 1924, he studied art at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts. In the late 1920s, Shanghai was considered the art capital of China and the academy was a prestigious institution with cutting-edge educators such as Xu Beihong and Huang Binhong. At the academy, Chen met and became close friends with fellow art pioneer Liu Kang, who later married Chen's sister Jen-ping in 1937.
In 1925, dissatisfied with their education at the Shanghai Academy, Chen, Liu and several of their classmates left for the Xinhua Academy of Fine Arts, also in Shanghai. Their new school had several Paris-trained Chinese impressionists such as Chang Hong and Wang Yuanbo, and the introduction to Western art at the academy left an indelible print on the young minds of Chen and Liu.
Together with Liu, Chen later left for Paris, France to further his art education. He studied at the famous Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-arts between 1928 and 1932. During this period, his works were regularly selected for the Paris Autumn Salon and various other art exhibitions. After graduation, he returned to China to teach and was a professor at the Shanghai Art Academy from 1933 to 1937. However, the Japanese invasion of China forced him to flee to Malaysia in 1937.
He moved to Singapore in the 1950s and served as the principal of Dunman Government Chinese Middle School (now called Dunman High School) from 1958 to 1969. The school crest that he and Liu designed for Dunman is still in use today. After he retired, the Singapore government awarded him the Public Administration Medal (Silver) as part of the 1970 National Day Awards in recognition of his service to the country. To honour his contributions, Dunman High School held an exhibition of 20 of his Chinese paintings at the NAFA art gallery in 1994, 18 years after his demise.
Contributions to the art scene in Singapore
Despite his natural talent and passion for art, Chen chose a career in education and dedicated a large part of his life to educating the younger generation. However he always remained involved in the world of art. Besides teaching art, he participated in several group exhibitions - though he never held any on his own. He was also a judge at art competitions and served as an honorary adviser to the Lee Kong Chian Museum of Asian Art at the Nanyang University.
In particular, he made significant contributions to the development of Chinese art in Singapore through his activities at the Society of Chinese Artists and through his role in the grooming of younger artists. The Society of Chinese Artists (originally called the Salon Art Society) was founded in 1935 and its early members included artists from both Singapore and Malaysia. At a time when local art was at its infancy, the society helped to promote Chinese art in Singapore by holding exhibitions regularly, with Chen being one of the participating members and later becoming its president.
Chen also taught Chinese art at NAFA, Singapore's first art school. Established in 1938, the academy propelled Chinese painting to greater prominence by offering it as a subject, together with oil painting, watercolour, drawing, pattern design, language and literature. The offering of this subject at the academy attracted a large student enrolment and enabled Chinese painting to develop at the same pace as Western painting in Singapore. Chen's training in both Chinese and Western art made him an invaluable asset to the academy. His versatility meant he was fully at ease with teaching Chinese calligraphy and at the same time incorporating or teaching Western art through the use of oils and watercolours. His role as a pioneer art educator no doubt enriched the visual arts scene in Singapore.
Author
Adlina Maulod
References
Chen, R. (2006). Chen Renhao shu hua. Singapore: Siaw-Tao Chinese Seal-Carving Calligraphy & Painting Society.
(Call no.: RSING 745.619951 CJH)
Dunman High School. (2008). Our milestones. Retrieved March 31, 2010, from http://www.dhs.sg/adm/newspdf/2006Milestones.PDF
Goh, B. C. (1993, March 9). They started art here. The Straits Times. Retrieved February 14, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Ho, S. B. (1994, December 4). Saying goodbye in a unique way. The Straits Times. Retrieved February 14, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Kwok, K. C. (c1996). Channels & confluences: A history of Singapore art. Singapore: Singapore Art Museum.
(Call no.: RSING 709.5957 KWO)
Ooi, K. C. (2004, June 28). Last Nanyang art pioneer dies. The New Straits Times. Retrieved January 20, 2009, from Factiva database.
Over 200 awarded National Day honours [Microfilm: NL 6556]. The Straits Times, p. 1.
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Singapore Art Museum. (1994). Pont des Arts: Nanyang artists in Paris, 1925-1970. Singapore: Author.
(Call no.: RSING 759.95957 SIN)
The information in this article is valid as at 2010 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
