LOT 54
TAN CHOON GHEE
B. Penang, 1930-2010
Amsterdam, 1992
Signed and dated “CHOON GHEE 1992” on lower right
Watercolour on paper
23.5 x 25.5 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur
SOLD – RM 5,600
As you can see, most of Tan’s paintings, drawings or sketches contain figures of people — which most artists would avoid. But for him, people give life to artworks.” Adroit with watercolour, oil or ink, he was a diligent sketcher who often went outdoors to draw. He was fascinated with human figures and saw their importance in bringing scenes to life. Tan also once said, “Without people, my paintings of old buildings would seem dead.”
He loved working on the streets, to be better able to capture the atmosphere of the place and gestures of his subjects. “There is always something going on — hawkers selling food, trishaws passing by, people eating and drinking. “I record them all in my sketchbooks with whatever comes to hand — pencil, charcoal, ink, anything,” read another of his quotes.