State of Tranquility – A Tan Chin Boon Solo Exhibition

Tan Chin Boon is a Singaporean painter, seal carver, and member of the Singapore Siaw-Tao Chinese Seal-Carving Calligraphy & Painting Society. Born in Nan’an, Fujian in 1953, Tan Chin Boon graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1972. Under the guidance of renowned artists Chen Chong Swee and See Hiang Tuo, he studied traditional Chinese Ink painting of landscapes, flowers and birds.

Tan Chin Boon’s childhood was spent in the countryside. He was very fond of rural streams, the reflection of moonlight, wildflowers, and country roads. His early life experiences became the inspiration for his future creations.His ink paintings demonstrate skilled mastery of traditional flower and bird paintings, and bold modern compositions. Playing with the concept of negative space, Tan demonstrates his strong command of the XieYi style of painting, exuding elegance in simplicity and leaving the audience space for imagination. When appreciating Tan Chin Boon’s ink paintings, one naturally experiences inner peace and tranquility. Ethereal, ephemeral, and embodying Zen – Tan Chin Boon’s many years of practice culminates in this ground-breaking showcase of his works.

Tan Chin Boon has practiced seal carving for many years. His works are self-contained, and his swordsmanship is strong and powerful. His seal prints are very lively, exploring humour, sarcasm and wit. His recent creations: “Kopi-o Kosong”, “Kosong”, and “Tak Boleh Tahan” explore the South Asian flavour while other works such as “Sunflowers”, “Thousands of Miles of Yunshan” and “Shameless” are Tan’s response to current events.

Tan Chin Boon has dedicated his art practice to Chinese ink painting and seal carving for over four decades. As a member of the Singapore Siaw-Tao Chinese Seal-Carving Calligraphy & Painting Society, he  has consistently participated in the artists’ group exhibition every year. His ink paintings and seal carving works are loved and collected by local collectors.

陈振文，新加坡画家、篆刻家、新加坡啸涛篆刻书画会会员。陈振文生于1953年，祖籍福建南安，1972年毕业于南阳美专，师从著名画家陈宗瑞、施香沱，跟随两位名家学习传统山水画和花鸟画，在校期间，他利用功课之余，坚持每星期的一个晚上到施香沱老师家里学习篆刻，勤学苦练，从陈振文日后篆刻艺术风格里能看出他的扎实功力。

    陈振文的童年在乡村生活，对乡村的小溪流水、池塘月色、野花小鸟、乡村小路都非常喜爱，自然而然的生活经历便成了日后创作的题材。他的水墨画即蕴含传统花鸟画的扎实功力，又采取大胆现代构图，画面采取大面积留白，鱼儿草儿星星点点，笔墨洒脱如行云流水，作品色彩淡雅、简洁。画面构图方面，他把中国画中的“散点透视”发挥的淋漓尽致。欣赏陈振文水墨作品，清新、平静的感觉便油然而生。作品留白的构图、淡雅的色彩，会让你有很大的空间想象，似空灵、似烟云、似无我….., 禅味十足，这也正是陈振文大半生谦卑习画、修炼追求的最高境界。

    陈振文多年来从事篆刻创作，他的作品自成风格，他的刀法如凿如铸、苍劲有力。他的篆刻印文非常生活化，把生活中趣事俗语、幽默短句，讽刺时弊等语句都刻入在方寸之石。例如他的近期创作：Kopi-o Kosong(自讨苦吃)，Kosong(马来文)虚空，Tak Boleh tahan(马来文)“够力”等都是体现南洋风味的文字。如：太阳花、万里云山、不知耻、一张废纸等文字都是反应时事的印文。陈振文篆刻的边款也别具特色，图文并茂，独出心裁，具有创意。

    陈振文近年来一直活跃于新加坡绘画艺术界，每年参加啸涛篆刻书画会的画家联展，作品深受本地收藏家喜爱和收藏。