LOT 5
ENG TAY
B. Kedah, 1947
Woman in Chia, 1980
Etching on paper (A/P)
32 x 32 cm
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
Signed and dated on lower right. Title “Woman in Chia” written on lower center
RM 3,000 – 5,500
This etching belongs to a period when Tay, having trained at The Art Students League of New York, began to fuse his Southeast Asian heritagewith modern graphic sensibilities. The figures, gently abstracted yet emotionally resonant, convene in a harmonious composition that reflects theartist’s enduring themes of family, music, and human connection. Eng Tay is a Malaysian born artist known for his poetic, dreamlike paintings, etchings, and sculptures. His style often captures tender human interactions, family scenes, village life, and gentle expressions of intimacy, with soft colour palettes and a somewhat nostalgic, storybook quality.His figures tend to be simplified, almost stylized, conveying emotion through composition and body language rather than detailed realism. “Woman in Chia,” 1980, fits into his early career phase, during which he was exploring themes of cultural identity, memory, and the human bond.