Chen Wen Hsi is widely regarded as a founder of the Nanyang School, and a pioneering figure in the Singaporean art world. Born in 1906, he studied at both the Shanghai College of Fine Arts and Xinhua College of Art, where he perfected his skills in Chinese ink painting. Though also proficient in oil painting, stemming from his experimentation with styles such as Fauvism and Cubism, Chen more widely celebrated for his traditional ink depictions of animals and nature, such as the present work.
Among these ink compositions, Chen frequently depicted scenes of gibbons in the wild, partly inspired by the pet apes he reared and observed in his menagerie. A popular subject matter in Asian art, Chen’s lively portrayals of the nimble creatures have since become synonymous with the artist’s oeuvre. In Two Gibbons, one animal gazes from above as the other playfully hangs from a branch with one hand. Showcasing Chen’s meticulous attention to detail, their fur coats and the surrounding flora are rendered with delicate sensitivity, while the branches are painted with bold single strokes.
In honour of these exquisite compositions, Chen's work has been presented across extensive solo exhibitions around the world. Chen was posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in 1991, a testament to his profound artistic legacy.