Lot 35
LONG THIEN SHIH
B. Selangor, 1946
Hidden Squids, 1993
Signed and dated “Thien Shih 1993” on lower left
Pastel on paper
52 x 76 cm
Provenance Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
RM 1,800 – RM 3,000
Long Thien Shih studied art in Atelier 17 and Atelier de Lithographic, Ecole Nationale Superlure des Beaux- Arts, both in Paris. Thereafter, he studied at the Royal College of Art in London. He has won awards such as the First Prize in the 1961 Young Malayan Artists Competition in Kuala Lumpur and the 1992 Prints Prize in Salon Malaysia and has produced may artworks, using various mediums.
Long Thien Shih employed the use of pastel on paper for this piece. Sea creatures as a subject matter are highly decorative on its own, but when captured in art, it becomes a totally ornamental masterpiece. Captured here are two squids darting towards angel fishes among the coral reefs. Beautifully illustrated using vibrant and saturated colour, the artist captures the quality of these creatures.