Lot 24
WAN SOON KAM
B. Singapore, 1943
Sunrise, 1980s
Signed “Wan Soon Kam” on lower right
Mixed media on paper
37.5 x 51.5 cm
Provenance Private Collection, Canada
RM 2,500 – RM 5,000
Wan Soon Kam, born in 1943, was one of Singapore’s leading artists renowned for his paintings of tranquil landscapes and quiet street scenes. It is said he was inspired to create these having spent his childhood in a small village in Hainan Island, China.
The artist was encouraged to go into painting full-time after his works were accepted for show and sale by the late English art gallery owner, Della Butcher, who promoted many Singaporean artists from the mid- 1960’s until 1993.
Wan combined acrylic and watercolour in his paintings with brilliance. In this work depicting the woods on a quiet morning, the careful strokes of his brushes and the choice of a blue palette for the sky add to the calm and serenity of the painting. Wan’s application of diversified techniques and implicative colours give viewers a feeling of the dynamic within the static, raising the definition of beauty to the next level.