This archival book, in conjunction with the exhibition of the same name, is a celebration of what is to be an extension of an artist’s mid-career, one who has continued to intrigue the art scene with her own unique style.
Her signature style has been described as Feministic whilst another scholar coined it as “Magical Realism”. But her paintings portray emotions and subjective interpretations rather than actual physical reality although most canvasses of hers embody figurative of people familiar to her surroundings. As such, her peculiar style reflects a co-relation with Figurative Expressionism from the early 1900s and a limbo between the Social Realists “Guo Hua” style or National Painting, the China Cultural Revolution Art of 1960s and the 1920s Shanghai “Lian Huan Hua” style.
Sensuality, decadents and morbid truths are essential features in her composition. Her works evoke emotions and the state of helplessness. In a way, they lead the viewers into intimacy with the weaker sex.
About the artist: Eng Hwee Chu is a contemporary feminist artist. She specializes in acrylic painting, but also works with installation art and sculpture. Her works expresses her own life experiences and represents a voice of women in relation to the roles and status of women in society. Important exhibitions that she has participated include: Asian Women Artist 1984 – 2012 (Fukuoka Asian Art Museum), Osaka Triennale Exhibition 2001, The Second Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art 1996 and Art in Southeast Asia Exhibition Tour 1997. Her works are widely collected by art museums and private collectors.
