Bidspirit auction | Cheong Soo Pieng (1917-1983)

Cheong Soo Pieng (1917-1983) - Abstract Landscape (Sunrise). Cheong Soo Pieng (1917-1983) | Abstract Landscape (Sunrise) Oil on Canvas Signed: Signed with the artist’s Chinese seal/character in the lower left corner. Dimensions: Artwork: 100 × 70 cm | 39.4 × 27.6 in Provenance: Private collection, London, UK; Private collection, Berlin, Germany. Condition: Good vintage condition; the paint surface is stable with a rich texture; minor surface dust consistent with age; unframed. Conditions of Sale: All lots are sold as is. See Section 4 of our Terms and Conditions for return policy. All inquiries must be made prior to bidding, as no further details can be provided after the sale. By placing a bid, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms and Conditions in full. Shipping: Aurora & Athena does not provide in-house shipping. The successful buyer arranges shipping directly with a company of their choice. For shipments outside the EU, Spanish export tax may apply to certain higher-value artworks; no export tax applies within the EU. Any such tax is payable by the buyer. Please refer to our Shipping & Export Information page for further details. -- This striking oil on canvas is a profound example of the late-career abstract period of Cheong Soo Pieng (1917–1983). A visionary who redefined the art of Southeast Asia, Cheong here moves beyond his famous figurative “Nanyang” depictions of Balinese women to explore the sublime forces of nature. The composition is dominated by a brilliant, explosive crimson sky, punctuated by a glowing white sun that seems to burn through an atmospheric shroud of deep charcoals and indigo. The lower registers transition into earthy ochres and fiery oranges, suggesting a landscape caught in the transformative light of dawn or dusk. The work is characterized by Cheong’s masterful use of texture and calligraphic brushwork. The central dark masses are rendered with a combination of thick impasto and delicate splatters, creating a rhythmic, almost cosmic energy. His ability to fuse Chinese ink painting sensibilities with Western oil techniques is on full display here, resulting in a landscape that feels both ancient and radically modern. This piece represents the artist’s inward journey toward pure abstraction, where light and color become the primary subjects.