Georgette Chen (1906–1993) is regarded as a key figure in the development of modern art in Singapore, and is often discussed in relation to the emergence of a distinct regional style that is most clearly characterised by a synthesis of Eastern and Western painting techniques and methods.

Chen’s early pursuit of formal art education at academies in Paris and New York was supported by her father Zhang Jing Jiang (the chief financer of Sun Yat Sen’s Xin Hai Revolution of 1911), and expressed through her development of a Post-Impressionist style focused on subjects of still life, landscapes and portraits. Her marriage to Eugene Chen (the first foreign minister of Sun Yat Sen’s government) extended her peripatetic lifestyle that allowed for the opportunity to capture landscapes across France and China in her art.

Following the struggles of WWII, Chen’s subsequent relocation to Penang (1951) and Singapore (1953) marked a new chapter in her life that was reflected in the shift in subject matter and incorporation of tropical colour into her art. She began teaching at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts where she passed on her academic training, and became a notable figure in the Singapore art scene, performing the role of judge, translator, mentor, host, but most importantly, that of the Modern Artist.