Lot 14 | 3 October 2021

 

 

LOT 14

CHANG FEE MING

B. Terengganu, 1959

What About These?, Mekong Delta, Vietnam, 2001

Signed on lower right

Watercolour on paper

12.5 x 20 cm

Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur

RM 2,800 – RM 4,800

Born in a rural coastal town in East Malaysia, Chang Fee Ming is one of Asia’s most renowned watercolourists. His richly detailed and vibrantly coloured paintings of life in idyllic, rural scenes have established his reputation as a sensitive observer of culture and promoter of culture. Chang expertly transforms colours into wondrous snippets of life. The artist has developed a collection spanning more than two decades, depicting rural people, culture and landscapes of countries in Asia and beyond. His acclaimed artwork is exhibited and collected throughout the world, and has appeared regularly at Christie’s auctions since 1995. Several books have been published about his work, including The World Of Chang Fee Ming (1995), Mekong (2004) and Imprinted Thoughts (2009) which was published in conjunction with his exhibition at Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI). This work entitled ‘What About These?, Mekong Delta, Vietnam, 2001’ in particular is arresting, depicting a couple of locals clad in sarong and a shirt are congregated with straw hats to protect them from the sun, engrossed in their work. Meticulously rendered, one can discern the motifs on the sarongs and the subject’s profiles — simply beautiful.