AN INTERNATIONAL INVITATION
On both sides of the Atlantic, Kwan Chin’s masterpieces will be the centre of attention at the forthcoming Malaysian art exhibitions in London and Art Basel Miami.
MATRADE and the National Visual Arts Gallery have graciously invited Kwan Chin to showcase his masterpieces at the Malaysia Art Exhibition: Arts Kuala Lumpur in London, for the whole month of October and then in Miami, Florida from December 4 to 17.
Kwan Chin was born in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur in 1946. He attended the Nan Yang Academy of Fine Art in Singapore, where he learned using traditional media including charcoal, watercolour and oils. A stint as a commercial artist in an advertising firm followed, but a brief introduction to batik sparked his interest and he quickly turned to batik art, which he became very famous for. Vividly coloured batik paintings are his specialty and collectors all over the world tend to have a copy of Kwan Chin’s works of art, which mainly depict scenes of Malaysian life. The upcoming exhibitions in London and Miami will be the first cities out of Asia to showcase his masterpieces.
It is indeed a great opportunity for Kwan Chin to further promote his batik pieces at the international level, especially when countries like the US and the UK are already familiar and are fans of the traditional art of batik. Two of Kwan Chin’s highlighted pieces include the Vegetable Seller and the Village Scene. The art exhibition in London is organised in conjunction with the celebration of Malaysian music and food in London. London dominates the UK visual art scene, which accounts for 30% of the global art market. It ranks second in Europe and third in the global market for the sale of artworks. Furthermore, it is one of the most significant centres of cultural, artistic and intellectual life, with unrivalled collections of art, historical artefacts and architecture stretching across centuries and continents.
The art exhibition in Miami is organised in conjunction with the Art Basel Miami, Florida, which is considered one of the biggest art fairs in the United States. Miami is becoming the Olympics of the art scene, where other art shows such as Art Asia, Art Miami, Design Miami, Scope, The Fountain Fair, NADA and many more held during Art Basel Miami are becoming increasingly prominent shows every year. High profile international art collectors, art connoisseurs, celebrities, athletes, businesses, media people, millionaires and trendsetters usually frequent these events. These art exhibitions are excellent platforms to promote Malaysian artworks in the international market, particularly in the UK and the US. It marks the beginning for Malaysia to further showcase the potential of local artworks to the world.
