LOT 46
CHUAH THEAN TENG, DATO’
B. China, 1914 – 2008
Mother and Child, 1970s
Batik
61 x 44 cm
Signed “Teng” on lower left
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Canada
RM 7,500 – 15,000
Born in Fujian, China, Dato’ Chuah Thean Teng studied at the Amoy (Xiamen) Art Institute before emigrating to Malaya. He settled in Penang in 1936 and initially ran a commercial sarong factory.
Dato’ Chuah Thean Teng is widely celebrated as the “Father of Malaysian Batik Painting” for transforming traditional textile crafts into a respectedfine art medium. His “Mother and Child” series is one of his most iconic works, which is characterised by its tender and emotional depiction of thebond between a mother and her child. The series features a variety of compositions, but all of them depict the intimate relationship between a mother and her child in a serene and peaceful setting. The mother is often shown holding her child close, with a look of love and tenderness on her face.