LOT 54
LYE YAU FATT
(B. Kedah, 1950)
Malay Girl (Gadis Melayu), 1975
Signed and dated on the bottom of the granite base
Cement and granite
Edition 3/5
30 x 15 x 16 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
RM 6,000 – RM 8,000
Captured here is the thought-provoking sculpture by Lye Yau Fatt. Retaining some link to figuration, especially the appearance of the woman which resemble most of his famous elongated ladies in his canvas works, the subject is positioned in a way that would require a lot of deliberation from the viewers’ part. She is seated, curled with her knees up to her chest as the material of her clothing is stretched. It is a quiet, serene moment – contemplative and solemn. It is the encapsulation of tranquility. However, this sculpture has the potential to be something very subjective, especially to the most fertile of imaginations.
An artist with extraordinary talents, Lye Yau Fatt was born in 1950 in Kedah. Since 1979, his artworks have been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions, internationally and locally. He received awards when he entered his works for the Open Art Competition (for sculpture) and the PNB Art Competition – Watercolour (for landscape painting). It is ordinary objects around him that he would look for as subject matter for his artworks. For Mosaic XII, Lye Yau Fatt will be exhibiting pieces that were inspired by the paintings of his mentor, the late Singaporean artist and pioneer of the Nanyang art style Cheong Soo Pieng, whom he spent a lot of time with learning the techniques of watercolour painting and painting styles before Cheong died due to heart failure in 1983.