Clothes Washing

XU BEIHONG (1895-1953)
Clothes Washing
Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper
70.7 x 34 cm. (27 ⁷⁄₈ x 13 ³⁄₈ in.)
Signed, with two seals of the artist

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.