Footnotes

Provenance
Mandarin Galleries, Singapore.
Acquired from the above by the grandparents of the present owner.
Thence in the family by descent.
Private collection, US.

鍾泗濱
交談
油彩 畫布
1976年作

簽名: 亖賓（右下）、SOO PIENG 1976（背）

來源
新加坡文華龍林古玩畫廊
現藏家外祖父母得自上述來源
後經家族流傳至今
美國私人收藏


While Maternity (Lot 8) reflects Cheong Soo Pieng's exploration of domestic intimacy through stylised figuration and modernist composition, his later work Talking, created in 1976, reveals a shift towards cultural reflections and symbolic narratives. Painted more than a decade after Maternity was made, this work exemplifies the evolution of Cheong's visual language in the 1970s, a period characterised by a deepened engagement with the Southeast Asian themes.

In Talking, three ladies stand together beneath a rounded crown of foliage, with a modest structure that appears in the background. Each of them is clad in a batik sarong. The lady on the left carries a basket on her back, the central figure wears a Dayak necklace, and the right-hand figure holds a basket of fruit in her arms. The subject and composition suggest a moment of exchange and shared activity. Soo Pieng skilfully captures an everyday scene of local life, which evokes a unique sense of familiarity. The figures are stylised and anonymous, allowing the viewers to connect with the scene on a universal level. This approach demonstrates Soo Pieng's sensitivity to cultural nuance and his ability to distil local themes into simplified forms imbued with emotions and meanings.

Unlike the intimate domestic setting of Maternity, this painting depicts social interactions that happen in a shared space. The title encourages the viewers to contemplate on the nature of communication not only among the figures themselves but also between artistic influences and cultural identities.

Soo Pieng's style developed during this period expresses a confident blend of symbolism and figuration. The figures retain the elongated limbs and almond-shaped eyes, which become characteristic of his work; they are now placed within a more structured and narrative composition. The rounded crown of foliage, rising from a cluster of exposed branches, serves as a central visual anchor behind the figures. It frames the scene and enhances the sense of enclosure and intimacy. Rather than constructing a detailed landscape, Soo Pieng uses this single tree and the architectural background to suggest a rural setting. The placement of these visual elements reflects his modern approach to pictorial balance, favouring clarity and symbolic resonance over traditional spatial logic. The result is a quiet and focused composition that draws attention to the figures and their interaction, inviting the viewer to engage with the painting through its narrative simplicity.

Talking represents a refinement in the artist's later practice. It is less focused on formal experimentations and more concerned with expressing cultural presence through visual clarity. With its thoughtful composition filled with symbolism, the painting conveys a gentle yet resonant vision of Southeast Asian life shaped by tradition, interpreted through a modern lens, and articulated with a distinctive artistic voice.