This month, we feature artwork from Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah.
By Kavitaanjali Muniandy
Chuah Thean Teng, Untitled, 1972, Batik, 74cm x 56cm. Image courtesy of Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah.
What appears to be a painting of a woman embracing two children could be more than what our eyes can see.
As a revolutionary artist known for transforming the traditional form of batik painting into a new form of fine art, Chuah Thean Teng has beautifully yet dexterously captured the bond, love, and affection between a mother and her children through his signature technique of batik painting. Here, we see the mother embracing her two children, one of whom seems to be holding a plate, while she rests her head on the other. This gesture shows us a glimpse into her life: how she relies on her children as much as they rely on her. Concurrently, the mother’s eyes seem to be losing focus due to fatigue or sorrow, creating a sombre ambience that suggests she and her children may be going through hardships.
The emotion in this work is enhanced by the subtle nuances of its blue and green hues, where blue may represent sadness, trust, and reliability while green may symbolise the protective nature of the mother. However, there is an intense feeling with the association of yellow pigment, which may represent hope and warmth. The strokes of thick lines around the figures and the appearance of cracked lines, a result of the application of the batik technique, create texture to the surface of the painting, adding more depth to Chuah’s work.
Born in Fujian, China and educated at Amoy Art School, Chuah (1914–2008) emigrated to Malaya at the age of 18 with his parents to help with his father’s business. But with his enthusiasm for art, he became the “father of batik art” who has left behind an important legacy in the development of visual arts in Malaysia. He was honoured with the Penang Heritage Trust’s Living Heritage Award in 2005.
Kavitaanjali Muniandy is a final year fine art student at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), majoring in sculpture and printmaking as her minor. She has written an art review entitled “Art Review About Cheah Yew Saik Retrospective” alongside Dr Sarena Abdullah on the blog of School of The Arts, USM.