LOT 32
SEAH KIM JOO
B. Singapore, 1939
A Serene Day, 1973
Signed and dated “Seah Kim Joo 73” on lower left
Batik
60 x 45 cm
Provenance Private Collection Singapore
Illustrated in the soon to be published “777, Celebrating 7 Illustrious Years at KLAS” coffee table book published by KLAS in February 2019
RM 2,000 – RM 4,000
Known as one of the first few advocates of traditional batik-painting, Seah Kim Joo illustrates a dreamy scene. Set against a background that suggests at the cross between fantasy and reality, the crackling lines of the batik makes this piece an absolute gem. Seah Kim Joo was raised in Terengganu, during which he was exposed to the process of traditional batik-making. He studied at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1959 before returning to Malaysia to enhance his batik skills through his travels around the east coast. After having won the First Prize at the Malayan Federation Open Art Competition two years in a row, he has then been recognised for his use of dye-and-resist technique in batik. His murals have adorned the Singapore Pavilion, and one of his paintings was selected for Singapore’s commemorative stamp series.