LOT 45
TAY BAK KOI
B. Singapore, 1939 – 2005
Downstream, 1970’s
Oil on board
30.5 x 25.5 cm
Private Collection, Australia
Signed “Bak Koi” on lower right, Raya gallery label on the verso
RM 8,000 – 16,000
Tay Bak Koi masterfully captures the tranquil essence of rural Southeast Asian life through his signature blend of stylized realism and atmospheric abstraction, as seen here in his Downstream painting. The composition is enveloped in a soothing palette of earthy greens and deep blues, evoking the lush, quiet solitude of a riverbank shrouded in nature. A lone fisherman steers his sampan across the water moving downstream, providing a focal point that anchors the vast landscape; this figure, paired with the brilliant, singular pop of a red conical hat, injects a subtle vitality into the otherwise serene environment. Through fluid, textured brushwork and a dreamlike composition, Tay transforms a simple everyday vignette into a poetic, timeless reflection on the harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world.