LOT 34
CHUAH THEAN TENG, DATO’
B. China, 1914 – 2008
Village Scene
Signed “Teng” on lower left
Batik
45 x 119 cm
Private Collection, Singapore
RM 30,000 – RM 70,000
Known as the Father of Batik Painting in Malaysia, Dato Chuah Thean Teng earned his stripes from his use of batik as a medium of fine art since 1953. Although batik painting has been around for hundreds of years, it is remarkable that no one before Teng had ever thought of adapting this age-old craft as a medium of fine art. His artistic proclivities includes landscapes, people and even animals, often a cultural education of the way of life in a particular community, their relationships and beliefs. This piece is as its name indicates, a village scene that depicts three wooden houses on stilts and villagers about their daily antics.