Untold Stories: Four Singapore Artists' Quest for Inspiration in Bali 1952

Introduction

This resource guide brings together the references, research materials, and archival sources used in developing the exhibition, Untold Stories: Four Singapore Artists’ Quest for Inspiration in Bali 1952. The materials featured offer a deeper look into the artists’ journey that led to a landmark exhibition in 1953 in Singapore’s art history and the historical context surrounding it. In conjunction with the exhibition, NLB and World Scientific have published the book Bali 1952: Through the Lens of Liu Kang by Gretchen Liu, one of the curators of this exhibition.

Prologue

Many recognise Liu Kang’s Artist and Model (1954) as depicting a Balinese scene from the 1952 artists’ trip to Bali, Indonesia. However, later research reveals that it was based on sketches of Chen Wen Hsi in Tretes, Java, just before reaching Bali. The seven-week journey, undertaken by four pioneering artists Liu Kang, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi, and Cheong Soo Pieng, spanned Jakarta to Bali and culminated in a landmark 1953 exhibition in Singapore. Despite the trip’s significance in Singapore’s art history, few details were known about it—until Liu Kang’s family uncovered over 1,000 photographs from the trip.

Though differing in temperament and artistic style, the artists shared a formative education at Shanghai’s Xinhua Art Academy. Their bond deepened in 1950s Singapore, culminating in a 1951 group exhibition that showcased 89 works and set record sales, cementing their collective presence in the local art scene. Their first joint exhibition drew strong public interest and record sales. Hailed as a milestone for Singapore art, it showcased Chinese artists' high standards and their role in shaping a distinct Malayan art through bold experimentation and new stylistic approaches.

Books

• Chen, Wen Hsi. Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition. Vols. 1–2. Singapore: Singapore Art Museum, 2006. (Call no. RSING 759.95957 CHE [v.1]; RSING 759.95957 CHE [v.2])

• Chia, Wai Hon. Liu Kang at 87. Singapore: National Arts Council and National Heritage Board, 1997. (Call no. RSING 759.95957 LIU)

• Liu, Kang. Journeys: Liu Kang and His Art. Singapore: National Arts Council and Singapore Art Museum, 2000. (Call no. RSING 759.95957 LIU)

• Low, Zheng Wei, ed. Strokes of Life: The Art of Chen Chong Swee. Singapore: National Gallery Singapore, 2017. (Call no. RSING 759.95957 CHE)

• Yeo, Wei Wei, ed. Liu Kang: Colourful Modernist. Singapore: National Art Gallery, 2011. (Call no. RSING 759.95957 LIU)

• Yeo, Wei Wei, ed. Cheong Soo Pieng: Visions of Southeast Asia. Singapore: National Art Gallery, 2010. (Call no. RSING 759.95957 SOO)

Newspaper Articles

• Nanyang Siang Pau 南洋商报. “Liu kang chen zongrui chen wenxi zhong sibin siyishujia huazhan niansanri jia yingguo wenhua xiehui kaimu you guohua youhua shuicaihua baiyuzhen 刘抗·陈宗瑞·陈文希·锺泗滨四艺术家画展廿三日假英国文化协会开幕 有国画油画水彩画百余帧 [Four Men Art Exhibition by Liu Kang, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi and Cheong Soo Pieng will be Launched at British Council on the 23rd. There will be more than 100 Works in Ink, Oil, Watercolour and Pastel].” 18 November 1951, 6. (From NewspaperSG)

• Nanyang Siang Pau 南洋商报. “Sihuajia huazhan kaimu 四画家画展开幕 [Four Men Art Exhibition Launched]." 24 November 1951, 5. (From NewspaperSG)

• Nanyang Siang Pau 南洋商报. “Xinjiapo yishu xiehui zhuban xinjiapo sihuajia lianhe huazhan 新加坡艺术协会主办新加坡四画家联合画展 [Four Singapore Artists Joint Exhibition Organised by Singapore Art Society].” 25 November 1951, 1. (From NewspaperSG)

• Straits Times. “S’pore Paintings Fetch $4,000.” 25 November 1951, 9. (From NewspaperSG)

• Nanyang Siang Pau 南洋商报. “Yingguo wenhua xiehui yu zhongguo yishu 英国文化协会与中国艺术[The British Council and Chinese Art]." 27 November 1951, 1. (From NewspaperSG)

• Nanyang Siang Pau 南洋商报. “Liu kang deng sihuajia meizhan zhongwairenshi canguanzhe yongyue chen zhichu li guangqian deng gouyou duofu 刘抗等四画家美展 中外人士参观者踊跃 陈之初李光前等购有多幅 [Both Chinese and Non-Chinese Visitors Responded Enthusiastically to the Four Men Art Exhibition by Liu Kang et. al. Tan Tsze Chor, Lee Kong Chian and others Purchased Many Works].” 29 November 1951, 6. (From NewspaperSG)

• Straits Times. “Art Show Sales a Record.” 29 November 1951, 8. (From NewspaperSG)

• Singapore Free Press. “One Man Show by Indian Painter.” 9 February 1952, 3. (From NewspaperSG)

• Straits Times. “Singapore Art Society Show.” 11 February 1952, 9. (From NewspaperSG)

• Singapore Standard. “Indian Artist Opens One-Man Show in S’pore.” 12 February 1952, 2. (From NewspaperSG)

• Toh, Lam Huat 杜南发. ”Tazhe nanfang de wubu woguo sidaxianquhuajia 52nian bali lishi zhi lü 踏着南方的舞步 我国四大先驱画家 52年峇厘历史之旅 [Tracing the Dance Steps of the South: The Historic Trip to Bali in 1952 Embarked by Four Singapore Pioneering Artists].” Shin Min Daily News 新明日报, 4 June 1994, 12. (From NewspaperSG)

Ephemeral Materials

• Singapore Art Society. Paintings by Liu Kang, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng [Exhibition poster]. Singapore: Singapore Art Society, 1951. (Call no. RCLOS 759.95957 PAI-[LK])

• Singapore Art Society. Catalogue of Singapore Art Society Exhibition of Works by Liu Kang, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi & Cheong Soo Pieng. Singapore: Singapore Art Society, 1951. (From PublicationSG)

Journal and Periodical Articles

• Low, Yoke Wah. “Becoming Professional Artists in Postwar Singapore and Malaya: Developments in Art during a Time of Political Transition.” Journal of Southeast Asian Studies 46, no. 3 (2015): 463–84. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43863203.

• Wang, Rui. “The Quest for a Regional Culture: The Artistic Adventure of Two Bali Trips, 1952 and 2001.” Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art 12, no. 5 (2013): 77–87. http://yishu-online.com/wp-content/uploads/mm-products/uploads/2013_v12_05_wang_r_p077.pdf

Websites

• Kwok, Kian Chow. “The Bali Field Trip, Liu Kang, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi and Cheong Soo Pieng.” Postcolonial Web. Accessed 8 August 2025. https://www.postcolonialweb.org/singapore/arts/painters/channel/12.html.

Chapter 1

Bali’s image as a paradise was shaped by colonial narratives, tourism promotion, and the Western gaze. In the early 20th century, new travel technologies made Bali more accessible, prompting the Dutch to invest in infrastructure and market the island as exotic and unspoiled. Artists, writers, and filmmakers in the 1930s further romanticised Bali through idealised portrayals. In Singapore, European artworks featuring Balinese scenes drew public acclaim. After Indonesia’s independence in 1949, tourism efforts continued, highlighting Bali’s Hindu identity within a Muslim-majority nation. These layered portrayals—exotic, spiritual, and picturesque—fascinated artists in Singapore, who were drawn to Bali’s cultural richness and visual beauty, adding to its allure as an artistic destination.

Books

• Adnyana, Wayan Kun. Pita Maha: Gerakan Sosial Seni Lukis Bali 1930-an [Pita Maha: A Social Movement of Balinese Paintings in the 1930s]. Jakarta: Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia, 2018. (Call no. RSEA 759.95986 ADN)

• Baum, Vicki. Tale of Bali. New York: Literary Guild of America, 1938. (Call no. RCLOS 833.91 BAU-[GH])

• Bali: Isle of Temples and Dances. Djakarta: Ministry of Information of the Republic of Indonesia, 1967. (Call no. RU 992.3 IND)

• Bali: The Isle of Gods. Djakarta: Ministry of Information of the Republic of Indonesia, [195-]. (Call no. RU 959.86 IND)

• Bristol, Horace. Bali in Pictures. Tokyo: East-West at Toppan Press, 1949. (Call no. RCLOS 915.986 BRI-[LK])

• Cotterell, Arthur. Bali: A Cultural History. Interlink Cultural Histories. Northampton, MA: Interlink Books, an imprint of Interlink Publishing Group, 2015. (Call no. RSEA 959.862 COT)

• Covarrubias, Miguel. Island of Bali. London: Cassell, 1937. (Call no. RCLOS 959.864 GOV-[LK])

• De Zoete, Beryl, and Walter Spies. Dance and Drama in Bali. London: Faber & Faber, 1938. (Call no. RCLOS 793.3195986 DEZ-[LK])

• Goris, Roelof. Bali: Atlas Kebudajaan / Bali: Cults and Customs / Bali: Cultuurgeschiedenis in Beeld. Djakarta: The Government of the Republic of Indonesia, [195-]. (Call no. RU 959.86 GOR)

• Hanna, Willard A. Bali Chronicles: A Lively Account of the Island’s History from Early Times to the 1970s. Singapore: Periplus, 2004. (Call no. RSEA 959.86 HAN)

• Hitchcock, Michael. Bali, the Imaginary Museum: The Photographs of Walter Spies and Beryl de Zoete. Kuala Lumpur; New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. (Call no. RSEA 959.86 HIT)

• Krause, Gregor. Bali. Hagen: Folkwang, 1922. (Call no. RU 959.86 KRA)

• Krause, Gregor. Bali: Volk, Land, Tänze, Feste, Tempel [Bali: People, Country, Dances, Festivals, Temples]. München: Georg Müller, 1926. (Call no. RU RSEA 959.86 KRA)

• Krause, Gregor. Bali: A Population, le Pays, les Danses, les Fêtes, les Temples, l’Art [Bali: A Population, the Country, the Dances, the Festivals, the Temples, the Art]. Paris: Editions Dunchartre et Van Buggenhoudt, 1930. (Call no. RU RSEA 992.3 KRA)

• Krause, Gregor and With, Karl. Bali: People and Art. Translated by Karl With. Bangkok: White Lotus Press, 2000. (Call no. RU q306.095986 KRA)

• Liu Huanran 刘焕然. Heshu dongyindu gailan 荷属东印度概览 [Netherlands East Indian Sketch]. Singapore 新加坡: Nanyang Baoshe 南洋报社, 1939. (Call no. RDTYS 959.8 LHJ)

• Merrillees, Scott. Greetings from Jakarta: Postcards of a Capital, 1900–1950. Jakarta: Equinox Pub, 2012. (Call no. RSEA 959.802 MER)

• Orient Touring Company. Travel through the Mystic Isles of Java, Sumatra and Bali. [Place of publication unknown]: Orient Touring Company, [1926]. (Call no. RCLOS 915.980422 ORI-[SEA])

• Picard, Michel. Bali: Cultural Tourism and Touristic Culture. Singapore: Archipelago Press, 1996. (Call no. RSING 959.86 PIC)

• Powell, Harry. The Last Paradise. New York: Cape and Smith, 1930. (Call no. RCLOS 959.86 POW-[RFL])

• Rama Rau, Santha. East of Home. London: Victor Gollancz Ltd., 1951. (Call no. RCLOS 950 RAM-[LK])

• Robinson, Geoffrey. The Dark Side of Paradise: Political Violence in Bali. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1995. (Call no. RSEA 959.86 ROB)

• Shavit, David. Bali and the Tourist Industry: A History, 1906–1942. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2003. (Call no. RSEA 338.47915986 SHA)

• Tours, Walks and Sights of Bali: Practical Glimpses of Bali for the Tourist. Denpasar: Bali Drukkerij, [194-]. (Call no. RCLOS 915.986 TOU-[LK])

• Vickers, Adrian. Bali: A Paradise Created. 2nd ed. Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, 2012. (Call no. RSEA 959.862 VIC)

• Vickers, Adrian, ed. Travelling to Bali: Four Hundred Years of Journeys. Kuala Lumpur; New York: Oxford University Press, 1994. (Call no. RSEA 959.86 TRA)

• Wadia, A. S. N. The Belle of Bali: Being Impressions of a Pleasure Cruise to the Dutch East Indies via Cochin, Colombo, Penang, and Singapore. London: J. M. Dent and Sons Ltd., 1936. (Call no. RCLOS 992.3 WAD-[LK])

• Williams, Adrian. Covarrubias in Bali. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, 2005. (Call no. RART q709.59860904 WIL)

• Williams, Adrian. Miguel Covarrubias: Sketches: Bali–Shanghai. Indonesia: Red & White Publishing with Island Arts, 2012. (Call no. RSEA 741.97253 WIL)

• Yates, Helen Eya. Bali: Enchanted Isle. A Travel Book. London: G. Allen & Unwin, 1933. (Call no. RCLOS 992.3 YAT-[LK])

Newspaper Articles and Magazines

• Foran, W. R. “Through the Dutch East Indies.” Straits Budget, 20 March 1925, 12. (From NewspaperSG)

• Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. “Bali Will Never Be ‘Spoiled’.” 26 February 1937, 6. (From NewspaperSG)

• Morning Tribune. “Lady Thomas Opens Le Mayeur’s Exhibition at the YWCA.” 21 May 1941, 4. (From NewspaperSG)

• Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. “Le Mayeur’s Exhibition: Polok amid Paintings of Her Native Bali.” 21 May 1941, 5. (From NewspaperSG)

• Straits Times. “Hands Tell Story in Bali Dances.” 5 July 1947, 9. (From NewspaperSG)

• Straits Times. “A Russian Artist Dreams of Bali.” 18 October 1947, 9. (From NewspaperSG)

• Straits Times. “A Timeless Existence in New Bali.” 24 February 1949, 8. (From NewspaperSG)

• Halpern, F. H. “The Dance Goes On in Bali.” Malaya Tribune, 18 November 1949, 5. (From NewspaperSG)

• Marcos, E. E. “This Is Bali.” Straits Times, 23 February 1950, 11. (From NewspaperSG)

• Schimanov, A. “Bali—Isle of Half-Nude Beauties Draws Tourists.” Sunday Tribune, 10 September 1950, 4. (From NewspaperSG)

• Straits Times Annual. “Modern Dance in Old Bali Scene.” January 1951, 112–13. Singapore: Straits Times, 1951. (From NewspaperSG)

• Singapore Standard. “Advertisement of the Indonesian Fine Art Movement Troupe Performing in Singapore.” 24 March 1952, 5. (From NewspaperSG)

• Singapore Standard. “Bali—In Song and Dance.” 27 March 1952, 10. (From NewspaperSG)

• Travellers Official Information Bureau of Netherland Indies. Tourism in the Netherlands East India. Java: Travellers Official Information Bureau of Netherland India, [193-?–194-?]. (Call no. RCLOS 915.98 TINI-[LK])

• "Pengdao zhenmianmu: baili shaonü jinshe zhi ying 蓬岛真面目：百丽少女近摄之影 [The Island Bali and Balinese]." Originally published in Liang You 良友 [The Young Companion], issue 105 (May 1935), 40 – 41. In Liang You 良友[The Young Companion], Fuke hedingban di 14 ce 复刻合订版第14册 [Reprinted Bound Volume 14]. Hong Kong 香港: Liangyou Huabao Gongsi 良友画报公司, 1980s. (Call no. RSING 059.951 YC)

• “Pengdao liying 蓬岛丽影 [Bali Beauty].” Originally published in Liang You 良友 [The Young Companion], issue 149 (December 1939), 36 – 37. In Liang You 良友[The Young Companion], Fuke hedingban di 22 ce 复刻合订版第22册 [Reprinted Bound Volume 22]. Hong Kong 香港: Liangyou Huabao Gongsi 良友画报公司, 1980s. (Call no. RSING 059.951 YC)

• "Dadongya gongrongquan zhi bali qi wudao geju ji qita 大东亚共荣圈之峇里 其舞蹈歌剧及其他 [Bali of Greater East Asia Prosperity Sphere: Its Dance, Opera and Others]." Zhaonan Huabao 昭南画报 [Syonan Gaho], vol. 1, no. 2 (July 1942), not paginated. (Call no. RRARE 940.54259 SG)

• “Huozang 火葬 [Cremation] / Pembakaran Majit di Bali [Cremation in Bali].” Nanyang 南洋 [Nanyang Post], Issue 47 (1949), not paginated. Retrieved from Chinese Periodical Full-Text Database (1911–1949), Shanghai Library.

• “Houwu 猴舞 [Monkey Dance] / Tari Monjet [Monkey Dance].” Nanyang 南洋 [Nanyang Post], Issue 47 (1949), not paginated. Retrieved from Chinese Periodical Full-Text Database (1911–1949), Shanghai Library.

• “Malaiya de jige jingtou—huang jiefu xiansheng jizi xingzhou 马来亚的几个镜头——黄杰夫先生寄自星洲 [Focus on Malaya—Sent from Singapore by Mr Wong Ken Foo (K. F. Wong).] Zhongguo yingyi 中国影艺 [Chinese Photography], Vol. 1, No. 9 (c. 1950), 26. Retrieved from Chinese Periodical Full-Text Database (1911–1949), Shanghai Library.

• “Bali fengqing 峇厘风情 [Balinese Culture].” Xingzhou zhoukan 星洲周刊 [Sin Chew Weekly], Issue 1 (19 April 1951), not paginated. (Call no. RCLOS 059.951 SCW -[HYT])

Ephemeral Materials

• [John Koh collection]. Indonesia Travel Ephemera, 1930–1941. (Call no. RCLOS 915.9804 JOH-[JK])

Journal and Periodical Articles

• Anak Agung Ayu Wulandari, “The Role of Pitamaha in Balinese Artistic Transformation: A Comparison Between Kamasan and Gusti Nyoman Lempad Artistic Style,” Humaniora 7, no. 4 (October 2016): 463-72 https://journal.binus.ac.id/index.php/Humaniora/article/download/3599/2979/0

• Jojor Ria Sitompul, “Visual and Textual Images of Women: 1930s Representation of Colonial Bali as Produced by Men and Women Travellers” (PhD diss., University of Warwick, 2008), 116, http://go.warwick.ac.uk/wrap/4107

Websites

• Atkinson, Michael. “Goona Goona: An Authentic Melodrama of the Isle of Bali.” San Francisco Silent Film Festival. Accessed 8 August 2025. https://silentfilm.org/goona-goona-an-authentic-melodrama-of-the-isle-of-bali/

• Bloom, Peter J., and Katherine J. Hagedorn. “Legong: Dance of the Virgins.” San Francisco Silent Film Festival. Published [date unspecified]. Accessed 8 August 2025. https://silentfilm.org/legong-dance-of-the-virgins/

• Herbst, Edward. “Bali 1928 – Repatriating Bali’s Earliest Music Recordings, 1930s Films and Photographs.” EdwardHerbst.net. Accessed 8 August 2025. https://edwardherbst.net/.

• Seed, John. “The Last Orientalists: European Artists in Colonial Bali.” Sotheby’s, 26 February 2020. https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-last-orientalists-european-artists-in-colonial-bali.

• Sjarief, Ayu B. “A Brief History of Sanur: The Birthplace of Bali’s Tourism.” NOW! Bali, 30 September 2020. https://www.nowbali.co.id/history-sanur-birthplace-bali-tourism/.

• Speirs, Eric. “Darkness Is White: A Multimedia Exhibition of Balinese Maestro I Gusti Nyoman Lempad.” NOW! Bali, 22 July 2023. https://www.nowbali.co.id/darkness-is-white-exhibition-lempad-bali/.

Audio-visual Materials

• Bali 1928, vol. V – Jangér Kedaton. Silent film, featuring Ni Wayan Pempen, Ni Gusti Putu Rengkeg, and I Wayan Marek. YouTube video. Uploaded on July 30 2015, accessed 8 August 2025. https://youtu.be/oeorZbDwA30?si=lWP925rqqpwXZPKd

• Bali 1928, vol. V – Rosa Covarrubias, Ni Made Gubreg & I Gusti Alit Oka. Silent film featuring Rosa Covarrubias, Ni Made Gubreg and I Gusti Alit Oka. YouTube video. Uploaded 30 July 2015. Accessed 8 August 2025. https://youtu.be/B1C‑PUDDbL4?si=E0Cm6gSja0c7B3Uf

• Liu Kang, oral history interview by Tan Beng Luan, 13 Jan 1983. Transcript and MP3 audio, reel 39. National Archives of Singapore (accession no. 000171), 364.

• Mead, Margaret, Film Producer, Screenwriter, Narrator, Josef Bohmer, Colin McPhee, Contributor Committee For Research In Dementia Praecox, and Foerstel, Bateson, Gregory, Film Producer, and Jane Belo, photographer. Trance and dance in Bali. United States: New York University Film Library, 1951. Video. https://www.loc.gov/item/2001646000/

Chapter 2

It is not surprising that the four artists were yearning for a new source of creative inspiration in the early 1950s and Bali, where art and life are inextricably enmeshed, had long been seductively in the background. The story of the seven-week trip emerges as an adventure shaped by serendipity, spontaneity and the kindness of strangers. While the ultimate destination of Bali was fixed, travel arrangements were improvised as they went along. In Java, where they visited Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya, they tapped into a network of old friends, clansmen, relatives and acquaintances who arranged accommodation, advised on practical arrangements, provided transport and organised sightseeing activities. 

Books

• Phua, Chay Long 潘醒农. Dongnanya mingsheng 东南亚名胜 [Celebrated Places of S. E. Asia.] Singapore 新加坡: Nandao Chubanshe 南岛出版社, 1954. (Call no. RCLOS 959 PCL-[LK])

Newspaper Articles

• Nanyang Siang Pau 南洋商报. “Liu kang chen wenxi zhong sibin chen zongrui sihuajia mingri fei bali xiesheng 刘抗陈文希锺泗滨陈宗瑞四画家明日飞峇里写生 [Four Artists–Liu Kang, Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng, Chen Chong Swee – Will Embark on a Sketching Trip to Bali Tomorrow].” 7 June 1952, 5. (From NewspaperSG)

• Nanyang Siang Pau 南洋商报. “Xinjiapo sihuajia changyou bali guilai 新加坡四画家畅游峇厘归来[Four Singapore Artists Returned after a Fulfiling Trip to Bali].” 29 July 1952, 5. (From NewspaperSG)

• Sabapathy, T. K. “Romance of Art.” The Straits Times, 14 April 1981, 5. (From NewspaperSG)

• Sabapathy, T. K. “A Resolute Artist.” The Straits Times, 24 July 1981, 3. (From NewspaperSG)

• Poh Lay Hoon 傅丽云. “Qingxi bali, yizhen shicheng 情系峇厘，艺震狮城 [Emotionally Attached to Bali, Art Rocks the Lion City].” Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报, 3 March 1994, 5. (From NewspaperSG)

• Chia, Yen Yen 谢燕燕. “Liu Kang dao balidao xunzhao ‘taohuayuan’ 刘抗到峇厘岛 寻找‘桃花源’ [Liu Kang Goes to Bali in Search of ‘Peach Blossom Spring’].”  Shin Min Daily News 新明日报, 10 March 1994, 8. (From NewspaperSG)

• Toh, Lam Huat 杜南发. ”Tazhe nanfang de wubu woguo sidaxianquhuajia 52nian bali lishi zhi lü 踏着南方的舞步 我国四大先驱画家 52年峇厘历史之旅 [Tracing the Dance Steps of the South: The Historic Trip to Bali in 1952 Embarked by Four Singapore Pioneering Artists].” Shin Min Daily News 新明日报, 4 June 1994, 12. (From NewspaperSG)

Journal and Periodical Articles

• “Cheong Soo Pieng.” The Singapore Artist, 1, no. 1 (September 1954), 26 – 28. (Call no. RCLOS 705 SA)

Other Print Formats

• Bali [Map]. Bandung: Hovic, 1949. (Call no. RCLOS 912.59862 UIT -[LK])

• Museum Djakarta: Koninklijk Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen: Lembaga Kenudajaan Indonesia [Jakarta Museum: Royal Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences: Indonesian Cultural Institute]. In Liu Kang: Malaysia and Indonesia postcards. (Call no. RCLOS 959.505 LIU -[LK])

Audio-visual Materials

• Chen Wen Hsi, oral history interview by Pitt Kuan Wah, 9 Feb 1983. Transcript and MP3 audio, reel 13. National Archives of Singapore (accession no. 000369), 96 – 100. An English translation of the transcript can be found in Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition (Vol. 2), Singapore: Singapore Art Museum, 2006. (Call no.: RSING 759.95957 CHE)

• Liu Kang, oral history interview by Tan Beng Luan, 7 Dec 1982 – 13 Jan 1983. Transcript and MP3 audio, reels 21, 39, 40. National Archives of Singapore (accession no. 000171), 191 – 193, 364 – 375.

Chapter 3

Leaving behind the familiar and embarking on a journey opens up new avenues of artistic expression. The culmination of their seven-week journey through Java and Bali was an art exhibition held in Singapore in November 1953 at the British Council. From the drawings and sketches amassed during the trip, the artists spent 15 months to produce paintings for the exhibition. Each artist interpreted the landscapes, people, daily activities and cultural practices in his own preferred medium and unique style. The exhibition attracted many visitors and received critical acclaim. Art collectors responded enthusiastically, acquiring the artists’ works for their collections. The idea of an exhibition based on a sketching trip abroad inspired others in the artistic community to organise such ventures. As the study of Singapore’s postwar art history deepened from the 1980s onwards, the 1953 exhibition came to be regarded as a major milestone.

Books

• Bali Lüxing Huaji 峇厘旅行画集 [Bali]. Singapore 新加坡：Liu Kang, Chen Wen Hsi, Chen Chong Swee, Cheong Soo Pieng 刘抗、陈文希、陈宗瑞、钟泗滨, 1953. (Call no. RCLOS 759.95957 BAL)

• Hsü, Marco 玛戈. Malaiya Yishu Jianshi 马来亚艺术简史 [A Brief History of Malayan Art]. Singapore 新加坡: Nanyang Chuban Youxian Gongsi 南洋出版有限公司,1963. (Call no.: RCLOS 709.595 MG). English translation of the book: Hsü, Marco C. F. A Brief History of Malayan Art. Translated by Lai Chee Kien. Singapore: Millennium Books, 1999. (Call no. RSING 709.595 HSU)

• Kwok, Kian Chow. Channels & Confluences: A History of Singapore Art. Singapore: Singapore Art Museum, 1996. (Call no. RSING 709.5957 KWO)

• Pameran Retrospektif Pelukis-pelukis Nanyang [Retrospective Exhibition of Nanyang Artists]. Kuala Lumpur: Muzium Seni Negara, 1979. (Call no.: RCLOS 759.959 PAM)

• Sabapathy, T. K. “From Years and After: The Nanyang Artists. Remarks on Art and History.” In New Directions 1980–1987: Modern Paintings in Singapore, not paginated. Singapore: Horizon Pub., 1987. (Call no. RSING 759.95957 NEW)

• Siew, Sara, ed. Siapa Nama Kamu?: Art in Singapore since the 19th Century: Selections from the Exhibition. Singapore: National Gallery Singapore, 2015. (Call no. RSING 709.5957074 SIA)

• Yinni Lüxing Huaji 印尼旅行画集 [Ten Men Art Exhibition]. Singapore: Ten Men Art Group, 1962. (Call no. RCLOS 759.9595 TEN -[LK])

Newspaper Articles

• Nanyang Siang Pau 南洋商报. “Yishu xiehui zhuban sihuajia bali huazhan ding liuri xiawu zai yingwenxie kaimu 艺术协会主办四画家峇厘画展订六日下午在英文协开幕 [Organised by Singapore Art Society, The Bali Exhibition by Four Artists Will be Launched in the Afternoon on the Sixth at the British Council]." 3 November 1953, 5. (From NewspaperSG)

• Nanyang Siang Pau 南洋商报. “Liu kang, chen wenxi, chen zongrui, zhong sibin bali huazhan zuori kaimu youcai, labi, fenhua, maobi gong yibaiyuzhen 刘抗、陈文希、陈宗瑞、锺泗滨 峇厘画展昨日开幕 油彩、蜡笔、粉画、毛笔画 共一百余帧[Bali Exhibition by Liu Kang, Chen Wen Hsi, Chen Chong Swee, and Cheong Soo Pieng Opened Yesterday. More than 100 works in Oil, Conte Crayon, Pastel, and Ink].” 7 November 1953, 6. (From NewspaperSG)

• Sin Chew Jit Poh 星洲日报. “Liu kang chen zongrui chen wenxi zhong sibin bali huazhan kaimu 刘抗 陈宗瑞 陈文希 锺泗滨 峇厘画展开幕 [Bali Exhibition by Liu Kang, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi and Cheong Soo Pieng Launched]." 7 November 1953, 5. (From NewspaperSG)

• Nanyang Siang Pau 南洋商报. “Benpo sihuajia bali huazhan canguanzhe zhong maitangnashi dinggou shufu 本坡四画家峇厘画展 参观者众 麦唐纳氏订购数幅 [Bali Exhibition by Four Local Artists Attracted Many Visitors. Mr MacDonald Has Ordered Several Works]." 8 November 1953, 6. (From NewspaperSG)

• Sin Chew Jit Poh 星洲日报. “Sihuajia bali huazhan 四画家峇厘画展 [Bali Exhibition by Four Artists]." 8 November 1953, 5. (From NewspaperSG)

• Sin Chew Jit Poh 星洲日报. “Xingsihuajia bali huazhan 星四画家峇厘画展 [Bali Exhibition by Four Singapore Artists].” 8 November 1953, 12. (From NewspaperSG)

• Nanyang Siang Pau 南洋商报. “Maitangna zhuanyuan re’ai dangdi yishu guli huajia fu shalayue zuohua zuori zaidu xinshang sihuajia bali huazhan ziji xuangou liuzhen hai ni jiao mada goucang 麦唐纳专员热爱当地艺术 鼓励画家赴砂拉越作画 昨日再度欣赏四画家峇厘画展 自己选购六帧还拟呌马大购藏 [High Commissioner MacDonald Loves Local Art. He Encourages Artists to Visit Sarawak to Paint. He Visited the Four Artists’ Bali Exhibition Again Yesterday, Bought Six Artworks and Intended to Ask University of Malaya to Acquire]." 9 November 1953, 5. (From NewspaperSG)

• Sin Chew Jit Poh 星洲日报. “Sijia bali huazhan 四家峇厘画展 [Bali Exhibition by Four Artists].“ 9 November 1953, 5. (From NewspaperSG)

• Nanyang Siang Pau 南洋商报. “Hua shamo wei lüzhou 化沙漠为绿洲 [Turing Desert into Oasis].” 10 November 1953, 1. (From NewspaperSG)

• The Singapore Free Press. “Four Went to Paint Bali.” 10 November 1953, 5. (From NewspaperSG)

• Nanyang Siang Pau 南洋商报 Nanyang Siang Pau. “Sihuajia bali huihua zhanlanhui canguanzhe xiren zuiduo jinri wei zuihou yitian 四画家 峇厘绘画展览会 参观者西人最多 今日为最后一天 [Bali Exhibition by Four Artists. Most of the Visitors were Caucasians. Today is the Last Day]." 15 November 1953, 5. (From NewspaperSG)

• Sin Chew Jit Poh 星洲日报. “Bali huihua zhanhui jinri zuihou yitian 峇厘绘画展会 今日最后一天[Bali Painting Exhibition. Today is the Last Day]." 15 November 1953, 5. (From NewspaperSG)

• De Cruz, Peter. “Local Artists at Work.” The Singapore Free Press, 16 November 1953, 8. (From NewspaperSG)

Journal and Periodical Articles

• Sabapathy, T. K. “Bali Revisited.” The Arts 1, no. 1 (April 1995): 12 – 18. (Call no. RSING 700.5 A)

Audio-visual Materials

• Chen Wen Hsi, oral history interview by Pitt Kuan Wah, 9 Feb 1983. Transcript and MP3 audio, reel 13. National Archives of Singapore (accession no. 000369), 96 – 100. An English translation of the transcript can be found in Convergences: Chen Wen Hsi Centennial Exhibition (Vol. 2), Singapore: Singapore Art Museum, 2006. (Call no.: RSING 759.95957 CHE)

• Liu Kang, oral history interview by Tan Beng Luan, 7 Dec 1982. Transcript and MP3 audio, reels 21, 40. National Archives of Singapore (accession no. 000171), 193, 370 - 371.

Selected Publications Featuring Artworks Inspired by the Trip to Bali in 1952

• Chen Wen Hsi. The Art of Chen Wen Hsi. Singapore: Straits Commercial Art, 1956. (Call no. RCLOS

• Cheong Soo Pieng 锺泗滨. Zhong sibin huaji 锺泗滨画集 [Cheong Soo Pieng]. Singapore 新加坡: Publisher not stated 出版社缺, 1956. (Call no. RCLOS 759.95957 SOO)

• Nanyang qingnian meishu 南洋青年美术 [The Art of Young Malayans]. Singapore 新加坡: Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts 南洋美专, 1955. (Call no. RCLOS 759.95957 ART -[LK])

• Jiaofeng: Chun malaiyahua wenyi banyuekan 蕉风：纯马来亚化文艺半月刊 [Chao Foon], Issue 3, 10 December 1955. (Call no. RCLOS C810.05 JF -[HYT])

• Jiaofeng: Chun malaiyahua wenyi banyuekan 蕉风：纯马来亚化文艺半月刊 [Chao Foon], Issue 4, 25 December 1955. (Call no. RCLOS C810.05 JF -[HYT])

• Jiaofeng: Chun malaiyahua wenyi banyuekan 蕉风：纯马来亚化文艺半月刊 [Chao Foon], Issue 15, 10 June 1956. (Call no. RCLOS C810.05 JF -[HYT])

• Jiaofeng: Chun malaiyahua wenyi banyuekan 蕉风：纯马来亚化文艺半月刊 [Chao Foon], Issue 17, 10 July 1956. (Call no. RCLOS C810.05 JF -[HYT])

• Jiaofeng: Chun malaiyahua wenyi banyuekan 蕉风：纯马来亚化文艺半月刊 [Chao Foon], Issue 29, 10 January 1957. (Call no. RCLOS C810.05 JF -[HYT])

• Xingqiliu 星期六 [Saturday Review], Issue 153 (9 August 1952). (Call no. RCLOS 059.951 SR -[HYT])

• Xingqiliu 星期六 [Saturday Review], Issue 156 (30 August 1952). (Call no. RCLOS 059.951 SR -[HYT])

• Xingqiliu 星期六 [Saturday Review], Issue 166 (8 November 1952). (Call no. RCLOS 059.951 SR -[LK])

• Xingqiliu 星期六 [Saturday Review], Issue 218 (7 November 1953). (Call no. RCLOS 059.951 SR)

• Xingqiliu 星期六 [Saturday Review], Issue 262 (11 September 1954). (Call no. RCLOS 059.951 SR - [HYT])

• Xingzhou Zhoukan 星洲周刊 [Sin Chew Weekly], Issue 109 (14 May 1953). (Call no. RCLOS 059.951 SCW)

• Xingzhou Zhoukan 星洲周刊 [Sin Chew Weekly], Issue 135 (12 November 1953). (Call no. RCLOS 059.951 SCW)

• Xingzhou Zhoukan 星洲周刊 [Sin Chew Weekly], Issue 182 (7 October 1954). (Call no. RCLOS 059.951 SCW -[HYT])

• Xingzhou Zhoukan 星洲周刊 [Sin Chew Weekly], Issue 184 (21 October 1954). (Call no. RCLOS 059.951 SCW -[HYT])

• Xingzhou Zhoukan 星洲周刊 [Sin Chew Weekly], Issue 186 (4 November 1954). (Call no. RCLOS 059.951 SCW -[HYT])

• Xingzhou Zhoukan 星洲周刊 [Sin Chew Weekly], Issue 292 (15 November 1956). (Call no. RCLOS 059.951 SCW -[HYT])

• Xingzhou Zhoukan 星洲周刊 [Sin Chew Weekly], Issue 294 (29 November 1956). (Call no. RCLOS 059.951 SCW -[HYT])