Landscapes

Details

HUANG BINHONG (1864-1955)
Landscapes
Folding fan, ink and colour on paper
18 x 37 cm. (7 1⁄8 x 14 5⁄8 in.)
Both sides inscribed and signed, with a total of two seals of the artist
Dated xinmao year (1951)
Dedicated to Madam Yongzhen

Provenance

Formerly in the collection of Singaporean collector Tan Keng Cheow (1907-1972).

Further Details

THE FOH COLLECTION OF CHINESE PAINTINGS

Assembled by Singapore-based collectors Mr Foh Kim Hong and his wife, Ms Chan Siew Fong, the Foh Collection celebrates five decades of life and partnership. Mr Foh was born in Malaysia, and upon graduating from Taiwan Normal University in music, he settled in Singapore and became a professional cellist for the newly formed Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Ms Chan grew up in Singapore and studied design at the prestigious art college Central Saint Martin’s in London. In the 1960s, she met and befriended renowned Singaporean artist Cheong Soo Pieng in London and also encountered artists such as Zao Wou-ki, Chu Te-Chun and Sanyu when she travelled to Paris.
The couple began collecting Chinese contemporary art in the late 1960s. Their different backgrounds and personalities have resulted in an impressively curated, diverse collection of Chinese paintings from the late Qing Dynasty to the late 1990s, showcasing masterpieces across the spectrum, from traditional literati pieces to bolder, more modern and abstract works. Subsequently, in the early 1990s, the Fohs founded Yuen Gallery, after Mr Foh had completed his time with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. The gallery was welcomed by Chinese painting connoisseurs in Singapore, Southeast Asia and beyond, and the Fohs have been advising many new and seasoned collectors with Mr Foh’s encyclopedic knowledge of Chinese art and provenance. Yuen Gallery organized many exhibitions featuring modern and contemporary ink artists such as Wu Guanzhong, Hong Yi, Li Keran, Lu Yanshao, Wu Zuoren, Zhu Qizhan, and Wang Jiqian. Mr Foh met Zhao Shao’ang on his visit to Hong Kong in the spring of 1992, which led to their collaboration on Zhao’s solo show at Yuen Gallery in 1995, Zhao Shao’ang – A Sixty-Year Retrospective.
Since Mr and Mrs Foh’s retirement in the last few years, their son, Foh Kai Lik has taken an active role in managing and shaping the future of the collection. In May 2023, the Foh family collaborated with Christie’s to present an exhibition of their cherished collection. Just as art has given light and joy to their lives, the family would like to see the collection supporting those who find it challenging to appreciate the world in all its beauty, particularly children with autism and special needs and elderly living with cognitive decline. The Foh family will donate all sale proceeds to support these causes.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Carmen Shek Cerne (石嘉雯) Vice President, Head of Department, Chinese Paintings

cshek@christies.com +852 2978 9981

Lot Essay

The dedication of this work refers to Madam Yongzhen, wife of Singapore renowned collector Mr Tan Keng Cheow. Born in Chao’an, Guangdong Province, Tan graduated with a law degree from Shanghai Public Chi Nan University and lectured in several colleges and universities including Guangzhou University. He later moved to Singapore where he contributed further to education as the principal of Tuan Mong High School and lectured in Chung Cheng High School. When he was in Shanghai, he followed many famous painters including Huang Binhong and Ye Gongchuo who enlightened him tremendously. It also provided him a chance to read and appreciate the famous works of contemporary artists. Mr Tan was a distinguished educator, artist, and art collector. He was the honorable chairman of the Chinese Pen Calligraphy Institution and superintendent of the Society of Chinese Artists. He was an influential figure in the Chinese Calligraphy Society of Singapore and a noted collector of Huang Binhong’s work. His vast collection of Huang Binhong paintings earned his residence the name Hundred Huang’s Building and The Studio of Three Hundred Paintings. There are a number of works by Huang Binhong in the Foh collection that are dedicated to Tan Keng Cheow or his family. According to Foh’s notes, this fan was acquired from Tan Keng Cheow’s descendants in 2004.

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