LOT 42
TAY BAK KOI
B.Singapore, 1939 – 2005
Untitled (Scene with Boats), 1970
Watercolour and gouache on paper
42 x 91 cm
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Canada
RM 5,000 – 12,000
A tranquil and evocative composition, Scene with Boat captures Tay Bak Koi’s enduring fascination with Singapore’s waterways and the disappearing landscapes of a bygone era. The elongated format allows the boat and surrounding environment to unfold rhythmically across the picture plane, while his delicate handling of watercolour and pastel creates a dreamlike atmosphere. Tay was particularly known for transforming familiar scenes into poetic images shaped by memory, observation and imagination.
A second generation Singapore artist, Tay Bak Koi studied at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts under influential pioneers including Cheong Soo Pieng and Georgette Chen. Working across oil, watercolour, gouache and mixed media, he became renowned for his fishing villages, kampungs, urban landscapes and iconic buffalo imagery. In 1969, he received a major commission to produce approximately 300 paintings for the Hilton Hotel Singapore, a milestone that enabled him to pursue painting full time. His works were subsequently exhibited extensively in Singapore and internationally.