Lot 054
CHONG SIEW YING
b. Kuala Lumpur, 1969
THE CRY, 2009
Signed and dated 'SiewYing 09' (lower right)
Oil on linen
150cm x 150cm
PROVENANCE
Private collection, Selangor.
ESTIMATE RM 23,000 - 33,000
PRICE REALISED RM 40,320
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Chong Siew Ying, the farmer’s daughter who dared to dream, to take up Art in the great Paris citadel with her notion of the hua qia (The Artist), has eked a reputation as one of the finest contemporary artists in Southeast Asia. Here, the roar of the she-lion represents a cry of celebration of her independent spirit and artistic expressions as well as a warning that she would guard her private space and territory. Only the lion head is most visible, practically dominating the whole canvas, and with the aggressively opened mouth baring its fangs. The lion is a morass of raffish staccato strokes, with not even the eyes detailed. The whole aggro charge is tempered by the stunningly azure sky and the dainty flower or two shown. These two animal works were done during the time of her Infinity exhibition at the Valentine Willie Fine Art, now defunct, in 2011. Much attention is drawn to her sublimal landscapes and her irrationally YueMinJun-like laughing faces that one other aspect of her animal menagerie is overshadowed.
Chong Siew Ying first studied for her Diploma in Graphic Design at the Petaling College of Art and Design but impetuously decided to continue her studies in Paris in 1990, at the L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Versailles (1991-1994) and then L’Atelier 63 (1994-1996), supporting herself by working part-time as an au pair. Two artist’s residencies – Rimbun Dahan, Selangor (1999-2000) and the Vermont Studio Centre, United States (2001, Freeman Asian Artist Fellowship) proved timely in her taking stock as well as tiding over her financial struggles. In 2002, she won a Special Award in the highly coveted Young Contemporary Artists (BMS) competition, and she was a finalist in the Hong Kong Sovereign Art Prize in 2009. She was also featured in high-profiled international events like Art Stage Singapore in 2015 (Being Human: Figuratism of 16 Malaysian Artists). Even before she held her first solo in Kuala Lumpur of her selected works 1996-1997 in 1998, she had had solos in Paris, namely at the MaisonTch’A, Atelier d’ Maravel and Gallery CafePanique. Her solos in Malaysia include Infinity (2011), Idylle: New Paintings (2008); Many Splendoured Things (2006); and Going Away, Coming Home (2002).
Reference:
Chong Siew Ying (Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, 2008) |