LOT 23
TAY BAK KOI
B. Singapore, 1939-2005
Untitled, 1965
Signed and dated “Bak Koi 65” on lower right
Oil on canvas
55 x 53 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, Canada
SOLD RM 20,160
Tay Bak Koi shows his distinctive visual poetic style in depicting village folks going about their daily routine, handling fishes as his primary motif. He uses a warm tone which sets a tropical, bright ether, yet captures the motion of the atmosphere. The artist also incorporates a dream-like feel in a form of sophistication and simplicity.
Tay Bak Koi was an artist renowned for his portrayals of fishing villages, kampung scenes and urban landscapes. He specialised in oil and watercolour and his works have been exhibited extensively in Singapore and various other countries, including Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, Germany and the United States. Tay’s talent for drawing was discovered by his father’s friend, who subsequently enrolled him in the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1957. His teacher, the late Cheong Soo Pieng, taught him to appreciate existing works of art in new ways and to challenge conventional art forms.