LOT 57
ENG TAY
B. Kedah, 1947
Family Portrait
Signed on lower right
Oil on canvas
105.5 x 105.5 cm
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
RM 29,000 – RM 55,000
Eng Tay was born in 1947 in Kedah, West Malaysia. In 1968, he moved to New York City and studied at the Arts Student League, School of Visual Arts and Pratt Graphics Center. Here he studied graphic design, painting and printmaking. He worked in the graphic arts field until 1978, when he undertook several painting trips throughout South America and Indonesia. These trips formed a basis for the types of scenes and moments that became his subject matter – images of people playing music, family moments and interactions, market scenes and daily rituals.
In Eng Tay’s typical manner, he depicts a family in the foreground, with calming hues as attires that blend seamlessly with one another. In this artwork, it seems as if the family is having a conversation that’s light and comfortable. The earthy, muted background provides prominence to the subject matters.