LOT 1
KOW LEONG KIANG
B. Selangor, 1970
Study for a Portrait, 1999
Acquired from Valentine Willie Fine Art Gallery label on the verso
Charcoal on newsprint
43.5 x 33.5 cm
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
RM 1,200 – RM 2,500
Kow Leong Kiang has successfully established himself as one of Malaysia’s respected figurative painters in the last 15 years since he won the grand prize at the Philip Morris ASEAN Art Awards in 1998. Since then, he has been working relentlessly to spread his artwork in the country and abroad. His works have also made their way into some of the permanent collections of corporations, private collectors as well as the likes of the National Art Gallery of Malaysia. He is widely known for his portraits of East Coast Malaysian women’s beauty and his depictions of nostalgic rural scenes captured through masterful feather-light rendering. This work, entitled ‘Study for a Portrait, 1999’ is evident of such nostalgia-evoking beauty, displaying the artist’s oeuvre despite it being a study work. Leong Kiang employed charcoal on newsprint to further complete his desired aesthetic.