Lot 028
CHIA YU CHIAN
b. Johor, 1936 - d. Kuala Lumpur, 1991
MOUNTAINOUS LANDSCAPE, 1957
Signed and dated 'Yu Chian 1957' (upper left)
Oil on board
42cm x 77.5cm
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Penang.
ESTIMATE RM 18,000 - 30,000
PRICE REALISED RM 33,600 |
A mountainous terrain landscape rendered in the manner of Fauvism is brilliantly captured here by one of the most celebrated Nanyang painters, Chia Yu Chian. Executed in the year of Malaysia’s independence, this early piece displays the strength of the artist’s brushwork and colour palette even before his stint in Paris. The blue skies are enlivened by cotton white clouds with streaks of bold red and black outline. Vivid green, orange, red and yellow dominate the scenery while dark hues are applied throughout the picture plane to represent shadows, creating a dramatic effect to the landscape. The artist has cleverly marked a purple streak on the ground as though with pure intention, enhancing the brilliance of yellow of the rocky hillside and the lowland on the left.
Chia Yu Chian went under personal tutorship of Singapore art pioneer Chen Wen Hsi. He was the first artist in Malaysia to be awarded a French Government scholarship to study at the famed Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts in Paris (1959 - 1962). He had the distinction of his works being accepted 15 times in prestigious Salon exhibitions in Paris and receiving Honourable Mentions in the Salon des Independent and Societe des Artistes Francaise – a rare honour for a non-French artist. He was commissioned to produce a mural titled Life in Malaysia for the Malaysian High Commission in Paris. He returned to Malaysia in February 1962 and held a solo exhibition at the British Council in Penang where all 110 displayed works were sold. A memorial exhibition was held at the Creative Centre, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur in 2002.
REFERENCE
200 Malaysian Artists, Dr. Tan Chee Khuan, The Art Gallery, Penang, 2002.
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