작품 상세

The artwork presents the artist's refined exploration of the paisley motif, an ornamental design of Persian origin that permeates the entire composition. Characterised by its distinctive curved teardrop form, the paisley pattern was first associated with the garments of Iranian nobility before being adopted into the celebrated Kashmir shawl designs of the 15th century. By the 18th and 19th centuries, these shawls were imported to England by the British East India Company, where the motif was widely reproduced through industrial manufacture. This work demonstrates the artist's concern with the elements of design and motif. The central figure of a lady combing her hair is rendered with graceful fluidity, her seated body and flowing hair echoing the rhythmic curves of the surrounding paisley patterns. Accented with bright hues, the visual harmony between figure and ornament suggests an interconnectedness between the human form and the natural world. As acknowledged by Professor Michael Sullivan, Dato' Chuah Thean Teng was hailed 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 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 gallery 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).