Screening & Talk | At the Conservator’s Bench: Chen Wen Hsi’s "Gibbons"

Name: Screening & Talk | At the Conservator’s Bench: Chen Wen Hsi’s "Gibbons"
Start: 2025-03-23T14:00:00+08:00
End: 2025-03-23T16:30:00+08:00
Location: 1 St. Andrew’s Road, Singapore, Singapore 178957

Schedule

Sun Mar 23 2025 at 02:00 pm to 04:30 pm

UTC+08:00

Location

1 St. Andrew’s Road, Singapore, Singapore 178957 | Singapore, SG

Screening & Talk | At the Conservator’s Bench: Chen Wen Hsi’s "Gibbons"
Sun 23 Mar 2025 | 2:00PM - 4:30PM | National Gallery Singapore, City Hall Wing, Level B1, The Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium & Foyer: https://bit.ly/ATCB_Gibbons
*Please note that Zhang’s talk will be in Mandarin, with simultaneous translation to English.
放映会及讲座 | 修复员的工作台：陈文希杰作《猿》
3月23日（星期日）｜下午2-4.30点｜新加坡国家美术馆市政厅翼座B1楼义安公司礼堂及前厅｜活动免费，请先报名: https://bit.ly/ATCB_Gibbons
*张艳的讲座将以华语进行并提供同步英文翻译。
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After more than two decades, pioneering artist Chen Wen Hsi’s monumental "Gibbons" (1977) is now on public display as part of the newly launched exhibition "Singapore Stories: Pathways and Detours in Art". Spanning an impressive 190 × 488 cm, this stunning ink painting featuring Chen’s signature gibbon motif is one of his largest surviving works.
Immerse yourself in the fascinating conservation process that has brought this masterpiece back to life. This film will reveal the intricate and meticulous efforts involved in restoring the artwork, offering an intimate look at the dedication and expertise required to preserve Chen’s legacy. Following the screening, hear directly from the conservators featured in the film as they share their personal experiences and insights.
Afterwards, join Eve Zhang Yan, Art Restoration Specialist at Wen Bao Zhai Chinese Art Restoration, as she shares invaluable insights into the common damages affecting Chinese ink artworks, and the enduring importance of traditional scroll mounting in the age of modern technology.
Don’t miss the chance to explore and interact with specialised conservation tools and view paintings and calligraphy works affected by insect infestation and yellow mold in the Auditorium Foyer, where you can witness the art of conservation up close.
历经二十余载，先锋艺术家陈文希的巨幅作品《猿》（1977）如今在全新推出的常设展《新加坡艺事：曲径通幽》中公开展出。这幅水墨画尺幅达 190 × 488 厘米，展现了陈文希标志性的猿猴主题，亦是他现存最大型的作品之一。
新加坡国家美术馆诚邀您踏上一场修复之旅，见证这件杰作如何重焕生机。本次放映将揭示画作修复的过程，让您近距离感受修复团队的匠心技艺，深入了解他们为守护陈文希艺术传承所付出的非凡努力。放映结束后，影片中的修复员将分享她们在修复过程中的亲身经历及独立见解。
随后，文宝斋中国传统国画修复师张艳将带来专题讲座，分享中国水墨作品常见的损害类型。讲座亦会探讨在现代科技发展下，传统书画装裱技艺为何依然不可或缺。
此外，欢迎前往礼堂前厅，观赏专业修复工具并了解受虫蛀或黄斑霉变影响的展品，亲身感受书画修复的精妙技艺。
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About the Speaker
Eve Zhang Yan holds an MA in Cultural Heritage Restoration, specializing in Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, from the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, China.
She has over 20 years of expertise in traditional painting restoration, her extensive portfolio includes work on pieces by Qing dynasty artist Xu Gu, historical portraiture from the Guangxu era, and modern and contemporary masters such as Zhang Daqian, Liu Haisu, Qi Baishi, and Lin Fengmian. She has also restored works by esteemed local artists, including Wu Guanzhong, Chen Wen Hsi, Chua Ek Kay, and Lim Tzu Peng.
Eve’s clientele spans both local and international private collectors, galleries, and cultural organizations, including Sotheby’s, the National Heritage Board (NHB), and the National Gallery Singapore (NGS), among others.
文保斋的修复师张艳毕业于中国美术学院，主修文物书画保护与修复，硕士学位。至今已有20多年的修复经验。

修复的作品包括张大千、刘海粟、齐白石、林风眠、吴冠中、钟泗宾、陈文希、蔡逸溪、林子平，等众多名家作品。客户包括海外和本地私人艺术收藏家、艺术画廊、政府机构和跨国组织，苏富比、国家文物局（新加坡）和国家美术馆（新加坡）等。
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Image credit: Chen Wen Hsi. Detail of "Gibbons". 1977. Ink and colour on paper, 190 × 488 cm. Collection of National Gallery Singapore. Conservation of this artwork was generously funded by the Bank of America Art Conservation Project.