In the cover catalogue of Chen Wen Hsi’s Centennial Exhibition, Convergence, at the Singapore Art Museum in 2006, Chen Wen Hsi revealed that he painted his gibbons only after completing the surroundings. This is invaluable towards the understanding of how he worked on his trademark gibbons paintings. Zhang Daqian proclaimed Chen Wen Hsi’s portrayal of the gibbons as the best after Song dynasty master Yi Yuanji. In a poem praising Chen Wen Hsi during his exhibition at the National Museum of History of Taiwan in 1981, he wrote: “If only Yuanji could return and get to know him… The gibbons are so well-captured, I could almost hear their cries emerging from ancient mountains and thick clouds.” Like Wen Hsi, Zhang boasted of a menagerie of animals as pets as well as studies for painting. Chen’s menagerie included six gibbons — white, grey and black, kept in two large steel cages. His fascination for gibbons was inspired by the works of the 13th century Zen master Mu Qi, with emphasis on the delicate fur. On Page 109 of the Convergence catalogue under the title, The Artistic Path of Chen Wen Hsi by Chua Kian Aik (translated from Chinese by Goh Ngee Hui): “He (Chen) would spend day and night, observing these creatures in order to paint them, paying meticulous attention to their movement and posture….a master of gibbon painting.” Chen Wen Hsi graduated from the Shanghai College of Art, Shanghai in 1928 and Xinhua College of Art, Shanghai in 1932, and taught there from 1946-47 before settling in Singapore in 1948. He taught at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Art in Singapore in 1951-59, and was given a Retrospective in 1982. His laurels included the Singapore Meritorious Service Star Award (1964) and posthumous, Gold Award (1992); Honorary doctorate by National University of Singapore (1975); Golden Chapter by Taiwan National Museum (1980); and the Asean Cultural and Communications Award (1987).