The landmark exhibition marks the Gallery’s first overseas retrospective of a Singaporean artist and the first major showcase of Georgette Chen’s works in China in nearly eight decades.
Singapore, 13 August 2025 — National Gallery Singapore’s Georgette Chen: At Home in the World (张荔英•此心安处) officially opened on 9 August 2025 at the He Xiangning Art Museum in Shenzhen, China. The exhibition marks a milestone as the Gallery’s first-ever travelling retrospective dedicated to a Singaporean artist and the first significant presentation of Chen’s works in China since her solo exhibition in Shanghai in 1947.
Showcasing more than 60 artworks — most from Singapore’s National Collection — alongside archival materials, the exhibition builds on its 2020 iteration with a refreshed curatorial approach. Organised into eight sections, it traces Chen’s transnational artistic journey from the 1930s to the 1970s, spanning Shanghai, Hong Kong, Paris, New York, Singapore, and Malaysia. Visitors can experience the evolution of her distinctive artistic identity through her still lifes, landscapes, and portraits, shaped by her cross-cultural engagements and movements across regions.
Highlights include celebrated works such as Self Portrait (c. 1946), Hakka Family (1939) and Lotus in a Breeze (c. 1970), alongside two newly acquired rare landscapes from Chen’s early French period in the 1930s, displayed publicly for the first time.
The exhibition coincides with the 60th anniversary of Singapore’s independence and the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and China. This first collaboration between National Gallery Singapore and the He Xiangning Art Museum celebrates Chen’s artistic legacy while strengthening cultural ties between the two nations.
Dr Eugene Tan, CEO and Director of National Gallery Singapore, said: “The collaboration between National Gallery Singapore and the He Xiangning Art Museum is a testament to the enduring cultural ties between our institutions and nations. It reflects our shared commitment to advancing the understanding of modern art in Asia and fostering meaningful dialogue across borders. In 2026, we also look forward to welcoming an exhibition of He Xiangning’s works at the National Gallery Singapore – her first major presentation in Singapore and Southeast Asia.”
Georgette Chen: At Home in the World runs from 9 August to 7 December 2025 at He Xiangning Art Museum in Shenzhen, China. Admission is free for all visitors.
