LOT 6
JEHAN CHAN
(B. Melaka, 1937-2011)
Houses by the River, 2000
Signed and dated “Jehan Chan 2000” with one seal of the artist on lower left
Watercolour on paper
67 x 92 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, Canada
SOLD – RM 8,850
Jehan Chan and his paintings were heavily influenced by his father, Chan Wee Sim, a scholar-artist. Combining the use of the ancient and traditional Chinese painting skills and the Malaysian spirit and environment, the outcome is simply fabulous and unique.
As illustrated here, what is clearly a view of a kelong or a fisherman’s village, with the hauntingly beautiful sky overlooking the scenery and reflected on the waters below, and a lone fishermen rowing. The mist provides the illusion of an ethereal-like scenery, a scenery that was brought alive through different intensities of brush and ink, similar to the Chinese painting styles.
In the late 1980, Jehan began experimenting with watercolour on rice paper and made this his distinguishing style after perfecting it. Frank Sullivan gave him his first two solos at the Samat Art Gallery in in 1968 and 1970. Jehan was the recipient for the Merit Award in the Art India Exhibition and the 1st Prize (Category D) in the Salon Malaysia competition. He was a student at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, during which his mentor was the legendary Cheong Soo Pieng.