I would like to share a beautiful Chinese colour and ink brush painting Watching a Cockfight acquired some years ago. The painting shows six Chinese ethnic minority men, women, and children dressed in their traditional unique clothes, sitting on the ground next to a banana tree, watching two roosters fighting aggressively. The artist is the famous and popular painter Chen Yanning （陈衍宁）who excels in Chinese ink brush artworks and oil paintings.
In the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, various ethnic groups hold cockfighting events. There are slight differences in how they are carried out due to differences in the living environment and regional cultures of the ethnic groups. The Bai (白族)and Dai (傣族) people in Yunnan and the Miao (苗族), Buyi (布依族), and Yi (彝族) people in Guizhou treat it as a local traditional folk sporting activity. As soon as the spring and autumn seasons arrive, local villages hold cockfighting competitions. Ethnic minority people are very fond of watching cockfights that can last for a few hours or even longer. A set of rules have been developed to suit local cultural characteristics and folk customs.
Chen Yanning (1945) was born in Guangzhou and graduated from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in 1965. After that, he remained in the Academy as a professional painter. From 1971 to 1985, he worked in the Guangdong Provincial Literary Creation Studio, followed by the Guangdong Painting Academy. He became a member of the Chinese Artists Association, an executive director of the Guangdong Branch of the Artists Association, and a member of the Guangdong Federation of Literary and Art Circle.
In 1986, he entered the Art Department of Oklahoma City University for further studies and then stayed on to teach. His well-known early works include paintings of Chairman Mao’s visit to the rural areas of Guangdong and the scene of a new barefoot doctor in a fishing port. He won the Grand Prize at the British Portrait Competition in 1990.
Queen Elizabeth II personally invited him to paint portraits of herself and her husband. He was also invited to paint portraits of famous British actress Jane Asher, British billionaire Sir Richard Branson, and Aung San Suu Kyi. His paintings give the viewers a sense of poetic beauty and unique Oriental character. The oriental charm and temperament reflected in his artworks come from his traditional Chinese roots and artistic accomplishment.
He has held many solo and group exhibitions in Australia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the USA. His works are collected by the National Art Museum of China, the Museum of Western Australia, and private collectors in the US, Singapore, Japan, and Europe. His oil paintings of portraits of beautiful women are popular in auctions. He has become one of the most sought-after painters in Europe and America.
Tan It Koon
Before retirement, Dr Tan It Koon was, among many appointments, Head of Clinical Biochemistry at SGH’s Dept of Pathology. He was the Deputy Chairman of the National Theatre Trust and Chairman for Grants and Scholarships of the Spore Cultural Foundation. He received the National Day Awards, PBM, and PPA, for his contribution to cultural and community development and excellence in Public Administration.
