LOT 68
JEHAN CHAN
(B. Melaka, 1937-2011)
Fishing Village, 1974
Signed and dated “Jehan Chan 1974” on lower right
Ink and watercolour on paper
40 x 88.5 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, Kelantan
RM 4,500 – RM 7,500
Jeihan 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 moon overlooking the scenery and reflected on the waters below, and a lone fisherman rowing. The night 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, Jeihan 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. Jeihan 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.