Lot 45 | Auction XXII

LOT 45

SOON LAI WAI
B. Penang, 1970

Lotus Series, 1999

Signed and dated “soon 99” on lower middle

Acrylic on canvas

27 x 27 cm

Provenance
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur

AVAILABLE
RM 2,000 – RM 3,500

Art, in its simplest form, is an expression of beauty and for Soon Lai Wai, the lotus flower is the epitome of beauty. Coincidentally, his reworking of the classic
flower was the reason he gained recognition at beginning of his career.

With liberated strokes, he manages to create a equatorial and prolific mood to it, the broad leaves curving here and there with complete abandon. “I rotate my canvas to allow the liquid paint to flow slowly and to settle into shapes of ponds, flowers or leaves,” explains the artist. He also expresses his fantasies and romanticism with striking and confident reds and greens. The unrestrained and enthusiastic way with which he applies brushstrokes onto canvas make the pure, demure flowers even more filled with life, standing out from the murkiness of muddy waters that they are surrounded by.