Seated Figures

This intimate trio of sculptures by Cheong Soo Pieng, collectively titled Seated Figures, reflects the artist's deep engagement with the human form and emotive expression through abstraction. Executed in a mix of bronze and ceramics, each figure presents a unique posture and gesture, embodying contemplative stillness, introspection, and quiet grace.

Cheong Soo Pieng—widely recognized as one of the pioneers of modern art in Singapore—was known for his synthesis of Eastern and Western artistic traditions. In Seated Figures, he reduces the human figure to essential forms while retaining a strong emotional presence. The textured surfaces and hand-crafted imperfections emphasize the tactile quality of the materials, grounding the sculptures in a sense of immediacy and humanity.

These works exemplify Cheong's pursuit of a Southeast Asian modernism, where traditional craft, local subjects, and modernist abstraction converge. Their silent, seated poses invite viewers into a meditative encounter with the figures, echoing themes of cultural identity, contemplation, and timeless human connection.