Widely regarded as the father of modern batik painting, Chuah Thean Teng transformed a traditional craft into one of Malaysia’s most celebrated forms of modern art. Working from the 1950s onward, Teng pioneered the adaptation of wax resist dyeing into a painterly medium, elevating batik beyond its decorative origins to the realm of fine art.

His process was meticulous and inventive, layers of hot wax were applied and removed in succession, each stage sealing in a new field of colour. The technique demanded patience, precision and a deep understanding of tone and rhythm. Through it, Teng achieved an extraordinary luminosity and depth, his figures often appearing to glow from within the cloth itself.

Untitled (Fruit Seller) (Lot 77) exemplifies Teng’s focus on the dignity of labour and the quiet poise of everyday life. The figures are rendered in warm earth tones balanced by vivid blues and greens, the intricate web of wax lines giving the surface a sense of energy and motion.

In Durian Harvest (Mothers and Children) (Lot 76), Teng turns his attention to the grace and intimacy of familial bonds. The composition unfolds horizontally, a frieze of domestic tenderness and community, where women and children gather in rhythmic harmony. These works reveal Teng’s enduring fascination with human connection and the ritual of daily life, articulated through colour, pattern and form.

Private Collection
Kanda’s Gallery B.O.Q., Tokyo