Still Life with Big Durian (1965)

By Georgette Chen

The image of the painting (Still Life with Big Durian painting picture, n.d.). 

This painting shows Georgette’s distinct Impressionism style infused with Asian elements, very obviously seen through the use of heavy brushstrokes, oriental reds and the choice of fruits depicted. The durian is the focal point in the picture with the green standing out from the background of paler colours. The mangosteens and rambutans give the impression of clutter, but add vibrance, to direct the audience’s eyes to the durian. The use of pleasant shades of colour give the painting a nostalgic and energetic feel.

Georgette masterfully expresses the simple joys of everyday living (Still Life with Big Durian, 2005) in Singapore through an accurate artistic representation of the local eating culture back in the 1960s. Back then, people did not demand much. The period of rapid industrial growth after independence made the locals focus on finding appreciation in the daily routines of life instead of the luxuries they dreamt of.

There is much to learn from this artwork. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”; Georgette definitely found beauty in the most common of things, especially fruits. You can check out other still life paintings by Georgette Chen here (auction and sale information): http://www.myarttracker.com/node/377936/artworks/by-artist/Georgette-Chen

References

Still Life with Big Durian. (2005). Life and art of Georgette Chen. Retrieved from http://www.artoutreachprogram.org/images/pdfs/PORTFOLIOS/The%20Life%20&%20Art%20of%20Georgette%20Chen.pdf

Still life with big durian picture [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved from http://poppypeppers.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/img_1519.jpg