LOT 22
CHUAH THEAN TENG, DATO’
B. China, 1914 – 2008
Mother Grooming with Children
Purchased directly from the artist in 1980 at his Yahong Gallery, Batu Feringghi, Penang, Malaysia
Batik
90 x 60 cm
Formerly Private Collection, USA Private Collection Singapore
RM 35,000 – RM 70,000
In terms of Dato’ Chuah Thean Teng’s Mother and Child theme, this is a work that is quintessential Teng (as he is affectionally known). All the hallmarks of gesture, form and colours are depicted, colour harmony with the subtle nuances of green and blue, the close- cropped composition, the elegant configurations and supple forms of a mother and her two children to emphasise the love and affection during grooming.
Teng is the world-acknowledged founder of Batik Painting and he never looked back after his break-through exhibition in 1955. His paintings, Two Of A Kind (1968) and Tell You A Secret (1987), took on iconic status when selected for Unicef greeting cards. He studied at the Xiamen (Amoy) Art Institute in China. He was honoured with a retrospective exhibition by the National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur in 1965 and by the Penang State Art Gallery in 1994. The Penang State Government conferred him the title “Dato” in 1998 and he received the Live Heritage Award in 2005. The National Art Gallery gave him a memorial exhibition in 2009. His major works are on show at Yahong Art Gallery in Batu Ferrringhi in Penang, which is a veritable museum also showcasing the batik works of his sons and grandsons.