LOT 83
TEW NAI TONG
(B. Selangor, 1936-2013)
Girl with Flowers, early 2000s
Signed “NAI TONG” on lower left
Oil on canvas
52 x 52 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
SOLD – RM 7,280
Illustrated here is a combination of Tew Nai Tong’s hallmarks in his artworks. Said hallmarks include females in rural settings, scenes from the everyday trade and agricultural activities and depictions of the simple life. The artist has an exemplary way of perceiving the simple life, enriching the visualisation of villages through his profound, vibrant paintings. The coarseness of colour and texture in his paintings also bring the mind to the countryside, and Tew Nai Tong’s affection for the countryside is palpable. This piece captures blissful quiescence and peace, and tells of life led with simplicity and being close to the community and nature.
Tew Nai Tong studied art at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore (NAFA) and graduated in 1958 before furthering his studies at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts in Paris. Among the awards he received were the Second Prize in the Chartered Bank Mural Design Competition, the Shell Watercolour Award, Best Award from Esso, the Dunlop Watercolour Award and the Grand Prize Asia Art Award (Malaysia) in Seoul. He was also the co-founder of the Malaysian Watercolour Society and the Contemporary Malaysian Watercolourist Association.