Lot 41 | Auction XX

LOT 41

Tan Choon Ghee
B. Penang, 1930-2010

London, 1981

Signed and inscribed in Chinese “London 1981” with seal on lower left

Chinese ink and watercolour on paper

67 x 45 cm

Provenance Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur

RM 3,000 – RM 6,000


Tan Choon Ghee’s familiar works are those of the old streets in London.

He captures the buildings, the shops, landscapes and tiny, miniscule details. This time, he takes to Trafalgar Square in London, capturing the al fresco beauty the city has to offer with subtle colours, techniques and draftsmanship.

By infusing the Chinese classical paintings’ calligraphic brushstrokes and the British watercolour approach, Tan Choon Ghee creates pieces that are ethereal, desirable and unmitigated in its exquisiteness. With gentle brushstrokes and the way the ink blends into the white background gives it that faint, misty glow that provides his pieces with an air of nostalgia.

Tan Choon Ghee was considered one of the most established Malaysian artist. He obtained his training in art from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore in 1951, before continuing to his studies at the Slade School of Art in the United Kingdom in 1958, where he was awarded scholarships from the West Germany Government and Australian Broadcasting Commission.