LOT 49
ENG TAY
B. Kedah, 1947
The Young Beauty, 1995
Oil on canvas
122 x 152 cm
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
Signed on lower right
RM 120,000 – 160,000
A master of quiet emotion and poetic simplicity, Eng Tay’s The Young Beauty encapsulates his lifelong exploration of intimacy, femininity, and tradition. Rendered in his signature style of soft contours and warm, muted palettes, the young subject appears both timeless and immediate—a serene figure suspended in contemplative stillness. Tay’s formative years in Malaysia, followed by his artistic training in New York, shaped his unique visual language, which blends Eastern narrative sensibilities with Western formal techniques. The Young Beauty demonstrates this synthesis, inviting the viewer into a meditative space that transcends cultural and temporal boundaries.
Widely collected across Asia, Europe, and North America, Tay’s work continues to resonate for its lyrical celebration of human connection and everyday ritual. This piece, dated 1995, marks a mature period in Tay’s career, notable for its emotional depth and compositional refinement.