This poster presents a practice-based conservation case study of a large-scale oil painting by Chung Swee Pin, a pioneer of Singaporean modern art. The work was executed on sugarcane fiberboard, a low-cost industrial support widely used in mid-twentieth-century Southeast Asia. After prolonged storage in a semi-exposed school corridor, the painting developed severe deterioration under tropical conditions, including fiber disintegration, mold growth, metal corrosion, paint delamination, and biological damage. Through material characterization and conservation assessment, this study documents the physical behavior of sugarcane board and analyzes how high humidity, heat, and ultraviolet exposure accelerated material instability. The poster outlines the treatment workflow, including dry surface cleaning, consolidation using animal glue, stabilization of corroded fasteners, structural reinforcement, and chromatic reintegration, aiming to recover legibility while respecting the artist’s intent. Beyond technical intervention, the project frames conservation as cultural repair and highlights the ethical responsibilities of heritage stewardship in tropical climates. Preventive conservation recommendations are proposed for modern and contemporary artworks produced with unstable industrial supports.

Authors:
Chunchen Lee, Conservation and Research Center, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Li Cunzhen, Researcher at the Cultural Heritage Conservation Research Centre of Cheng Shiu University, holds a Master's degree from the Department of Fine Arts at National Kaohsiung Normal University. Her research focuses on cultural heritage conservation and artistic creation, with over a decade of practical experience in the preservation and restoration of artworks. She has participated in numerous restoration projects for overseas international exhibitions.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule

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