Early Spring depicts two of female figures adorning colourful dresses immersed in a musical act. A typical subject for Eng Tay, the seated figure in yellow and blue dress is playing a bowed string instrument, while the other figure in a red floral dress is singing. This early piece is executed in a representational manner with minimal use of colour, a variation to the artist’s otherwise dense and rich palette. New York-based artist Eng Tay has built an international reputation of 45 years with his endearing figurative works, showcased in nearly 100 solo exhibitions throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. He made his way to New York in 1968 to study at the Art Students League (1969 - 1972) followed by the School of Visual Arts (1972 -1978) and was a participating artist at the Pratt Graphics Centre while working as a graphic designer for the Red Book Magazine. A versatile artist, he has distinguished himself in paintings, prints and sculptures. The Galeri Petronas, Kuala Lumpur hosted a major retrospective for Eng Tay, simply titled Eng Tay: The Exhibition in 2009, to celebrate his fourth decade as an artist. In the exhibition, Eng Tay also unveiled a series of large masterpieces in homage to the great masters of art. His works are in the collection of the Fukuyama Museum of Art, Hiroshima in Japan; the Frankie Valli Estate and the Merv Griffin Estate in the United States; the New York University (Department of Anthropology) and the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. His monumental bronze sculptures adorn the Kiaraville and SENI condominiums in Mont Kiara and Zehn Bukit Pantai in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. His latest exhibition titled Eng Tay: Works From 2005-2015 - a summation of the artist’s works over the last 10 years featuring 27 oil paintings, 7 sculptures and a selection of hand-carved jewellery as well as beautifully crafted elm cigar and watch boxes – was held at Art Accent gallery, Kuala Lumpur in October 2015.