LOT 13
CHUAH THEAN TENG, DATO’
B. China, 1914 – 2008
Fishing Villagescape, Penang 1970’s
Batik
85 x 56 cm
Private Collection, Canada
Signed “Teng” on lower right
RM 14,000 – 20,000
A master of modern batik painting, Chuah Thean Teng is celebrated for elevating the traditional wax resist textile technique into a refined fine art form. Fishing Villagescape, Penang, executed in the 1970s, exemplifies his mature period where composition, atmosphere, and cultural memory converge with lyrical restraint. In this work, Teng captures the quiet poetry of a coastal settlement, likely inspired by the fishing communities of Penang. Clustered wooden houses on stilts emerge through a soft, almost dreamlike haze, their angular forms balanced with delicate tonal transitions. The diffused palette of warm ochres, muted reds, and gentle greens creates a luminous, mist laden ambiance, evoking early morning light or the lingering humidity of the shoreline. The presence of a solitary boat in the foreground further anchors the scene in the rhythms of daily village life, subtly narrating the livelihood of its inhabitants.