LOT 44
TAN THEAN SONG
B. Kedah, 1946
Fishing Village ,1975
Batik
76 x 49.5 cm
Private Collection, Canada
Signed and dated on lower right
RM 1,000 – 2,200
Tan Thean Song mainly works in the batik medium, although he also paints in watercolours and Chinese ink. His batiks follow the usual themes of rural life, and this work is an imaginative rendition of alluring damsels set against a moonlit fishing village landscape. The mysterious atmosphere of night is evoked through the misty, purple background and light-glowing hues, suggesting a sense of depth and perspective. Tan studied at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore and won the 2nd Prize (Batik) in the 1969 Salon Malaysia with Flying Kite, which is now in the collection of the National Art Gallery Malaysia. Tan also won 1st Prize in the Malayan Young Artists competition in 1964. He took part in the Adelaide Expo when Georgetown and Adelaide sealed their ‘sister cities’ relationship in 1974.