SHEN YINMO (1887-1971)
Calligraphy in Running Script
Scroll, mounted and framed, ink on paper
132.3 x 32.7 cm. (52 ¹⁄₈ x 12 ⁷⁄₈ in.)
Inscribed and signed, with three seals of the artist
Dated summer, 1951
Dedicated to Shaonan

NOTE:
The painting was dedicated to Xu Shaonan (1911-1963), who was a native of Chao'an, Guangdong Province. Mr. Xu studied in Jinshan Middle School in Guangdong at his early age, moved to Singapore in between the year of 1935 to develop his career in the business sector, and was well known in the local Chaozhou Community. Mr. Xu was an enthusiast for Chinese Culture. He read a variety of books, and had considerable expertise in bibliography. With his dedication to book collecting, he owned a great collection with his studio “Shuang Yue Chong Yin Zhai”, which had a high reputation in Singapore and Malaysia. Mr. Xu’s family complied with his will to donate his collection of books to National University of Singapore Central Library after he passed away in 1963. Principal Madam Chua Liang addressed Mr. Xu as “A Shu” (Uncle). The two families had a close relationship. According to the introduction provided by Principal Madam Chua Liang, the current work was directly acquired from Mr. Xu Shaonan.

Principal Madam Chua Liang, a native of Chao’an County, Guangdong Province, China, was born in Shantou City. At the age of four, she moved to Singapore with her mother, received a bilingual education in both Chinese and English, and earned the Cambridge School Certificate as well as a degree in Chinese Studies from Nanyang University. Madam Chua taught at Nanyang Girls’ High School for 38 years, serving as its principal for 18 years. She also held several public positions, including as a member of the Civil Defense Advisory Committee of the Singapore Ministry of Defense and the Secondary School Senior Chinese Textbook Committee of the Ministry of Education’s Curriculum Development Institute. In 1984, she was awarded the Public Administration Award by the Singapore government. Additionally, she was the scriptwriter for the children’s TV series Children’s Stories and published works such as Youth in Agony and Gain Time, Gain Life.

Madam Chua Liang is the older sister of Mr. Chua Lam, a well-known movie producer, columnist, and food critic in Hong Kong. In 2013, she co-authored Chua Lam’s Family Book and Chua Lam’s Family Book II with Chua Lam and Chua Swan, which were published by Cosmos Book Ltd.

The six artworks in Madam Chua's collection were given to her as dowry gifts from her father, Mr. Chua Boon Hean. The Calligraphy in Running Script by Shen Yinmo (1887-1971, Lot 84) was dedicated to Shaonan, a friend of Mr. Chua Boon Hean, who was referred to as "uncle" by Madam Chua. She used to have meals at "uncle's" house every Sunday when she was young.