LOT 30
SIEW HOCK MENG
B. Johor, 1942
Nude 2, 2018
Oil on board
50.5 x 76 cm
Private Collection, Singapore
Signed on lower left
RM 40,000 – 70,000
Born on April 3, 1942, Johor, Malaysia, Siew Hock Meng graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1961 and has been painting since. An artist based in Singapore, he was awarded the National Day Medal for Fine Arts in 1971 and the award for Visual Arts Creation, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Alumni Association Singapore in 1981 and 1984. Considered one of the most important artists in the region, Siew uses oils, acrylic and pastels in his work, and he is believed to be most adept at pastel painting. He is an expert in portrait painting capable of using pastels with very precise and skilled application of colours. He creates vivid portraits with just a few dabs and strokes, leaving the spectators in awe to admire the lifelike rendition. Siew also demonstrates maturity and superb control and mastery in his figure paintings. His creations in this area, with a high degree of technical proficiency, bring out his visions. Apart from his fascination for the vibrant colours and cultural diversity of the tropics, he expresses a deep concern for the social and environmental realities behind them. His observations and reflections are especially poignant in the many thoughtful and contemplative landscapes.