Lot 10
LUI CHENG THAK
b. Negeri Sembilan, 1967
BALI, 2002
Signed 'LChengThak' (lower left);
Inscribed and dated 'Bali 2002' (lower right)
Oil on canvas
50cm x 40cm
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Kuala Lumpur.
ESTIMATE RM 5,000 - 8,000
PRICE REALISED RM 8,400 |
Lui Cheng Thak produced his first Bali series upon returning from an inspirational trip to Bali in 2001. Featuring the daily ritual of prayers and offerings to Hindu Gods performed by locals, this series captures the mesmerising ceremony of the rituals, the beauty of the Balinese women as well as the captivating ambience of the surroundings and architecture. Illustrated here is a beautifully painted scene of a Balinese woman dressed in pink kebaya and batik sarong placing burning incense onto the Canang Sari, daily Balinese offerings. The phrase Canang Sari is derived from the Balinese words sari means essence and canang means a small palm-leaf basket as the tray. Canang Sari is the symbol of gratitude to the Hindu god, Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa. It is offered every day as a form of appreciation. The Canang Sari is normally filled with colourful flowers namely white, red, yellow, blue or green that is symbolic and is placed in specific directions.
Lui Cheng Thak graduated from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1989. Known as one of Malaysia’s foremost painters of heritage buildings, his greatest muse is old buildings and street scenes in Kuala Lumpur, Malacca and Penang and is renowned for his iconic paintings of windows and birdcages that pay homage to Malaysia’s heritage, history and culture. It is through exquisite technique and continual development that this artist manages to keep the art of painting alive and relevant in modern times. To date, Cheng Thak has participated in numerous exhibitions and has found much recognition for his creative expressions. Among his solo exhibitions are As I Was Passing held in Kuala Lumpur (1997), Reborn (2012), Circles: Cheng Thak, Lui Nostalgia and Collective Memory (2014), and most recently Bayang (2015), a series of new body of work focusing on the theme shadow breaking away from his signature heritage building. His paintings can be found in several prestigious collections public and private including the National Visual Arts Gallery in Kuala Lumpur.
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