LOT 27
LEE MAN FONG
B. China, 1913 – 1988
Hen, 1960’s
Mixed media on paper
40 x 28 cm
Private Collection, United Kingdom
Signed “lm.Fong”on lower left and stamped with artist’s chinese seal on lower left and top right
WITHDRAWN
Lee Man Fong stands as one of the most culturally significant and visually poetic artists to emerge from Southeast Asia in the twentieth century. Born in Guangzhou in 1913 and later becoming a central artistic figure in the Malay Archipelago, his life and work reveal an extraordinary synthesis of influences that crossed continents and traditions. In this intimate mixed media work on paper, the humble hen is elevated into a subject of quiet dignity, embodying the artist’s deep affinity with nature and his meditative approach to form. Executed with fluid brushwork and delicate tonal gradations, the composition reveals Lee’s signature synthesis of Eastern ink traditions and Western painterly techniques. The hen is portrayed with a gentle vitality, its posture alert yet serene capturing a fleeting moment of stillness. Subtle washes and expressive linework imbue the subject with both texture and spirit, while the minimal background allows the viewer to focus on the essence of the creature. Works such as this reflect Lee Man Fong’s enduring fascination with everyday subjects, transformed through his poetic vision into timeless studies of life and balance.