National Art Gallery Exhibition To Honour Icon Of Modern Batik Painting

Kuala Lumpur- The National Art Gallery will showcase an exhibition in honour of the late Datuk Chuah Thean Teng, affectionately referred to as the ‘Father of Modern Batik Painting‘.

Chuah died at his residence-cum-art gallery, Yahong Gallery in Batu Ferringhi, Penang, two days ago. He was 96.

In a statement here Thursday, the art gallery said the exhibition entitled, ‘Teng: Malaysia, My Inspiration‘ would present his early works in various mediums and batik paintings.

"The exhibition is to honor him again as a gesture of appreciation and mark of respect to his outstanding contributions to art and culture," said the statement.

The exhibition will be held from this month until next February.

The art gallery also offered its deepest condolences to Teng‘s family as the country had lost an extraordinary artist and outstanding patriot of craft and art, both indigenous and international.

Born in Fujian province, China in 1912, Chuah came to Malaya at 18 and settled in Penang.

He dabbled in many trades before deciding on becoming a visual artist and formed Penang Art Studio (1960-1961) with his illustrious contemporaries, the late Kuo Jing Ping and Tan Choon Ghee.

Teng shot to international prominence and put the then-Malaya on the map of the art world in the late 1950s when he single-handedly transformed batik, an indigenous craft of this region, into a new form of modern fine art.

He was honoured with a rare solo exhibition at the National Art Gallery in 1965 and was also the first Malaysian to have his artwork entitled ‘Two of a Kind‘ in 1965 and selected by UNICEF to be printed as greeting cards in 1968.

Teng has exhibited extensively in countries like United Kingdom, United States, Japan, Holland, Canada, Brazil and Vietnam, among others.

Source: http://www.bernama.com.my/ (November 27, 2008)
Photo credit : thestar.com.my

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