작품 상세

Teng, the batik master is known for his poetic imagery capturing the spirit of village life. This work exemplifies Teng's skill in the medium of batik created through a resist dyeing method of applying liquid wax and dyes onto cotton fabric, resulting in detailed patterns in the composition. Kampung Life expresses the beauty of everyday living, whereby a charming woman is portrayed enjoying the durian fruit. The radiant flowers in the foreground, caladium plants, soft plains, sun, blue skies, and kampung house are carefully depicted in glorious detail, achieving a unified and harmonious whole through the ornamental batik forms. As acknowledged by Professor Michael Sullivan, Dato' Chuah Thean Teng was hailed as the 'Father of Batik Painting' (Chinese Art in the 20th Century, 1959), the only Malaysian to have started a world art genre, Batik Painting. He was among the world's art elite in the Commonwealth Artists of Fame exhibition, to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in 1977. The National Art Gallery Malaysia accorded him an early Retrospective in 1965 and a Tribute in 2008, while Penang's Retrospective came in 1994. Penang also awarded him with the Dato' title in 1998 and the Living Heritage status in 2005. He established Yahong Art Gallery, first at Leith Street (1953) and then Batu Ferringhi (1994), which functions as his veritable museum which includes batik works of his three sons and two grandchildren. He also held solos in the United States and London (Commonwealth Institute). His batik mural commissions included the Malayan Embassy in Canberra, Australia (1959), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur (1960), Malayan Tobacco Company, Kuala Lumpur (1960), and Bank Negara's branch in Penang (1974).