Lai Kui Fang, Paysage de Malaisie (Malaysian Landscape), 1963
Ink on paper
33 x 44 cm (visible), 53.5 x 63 x 2 cm (framed)
Condition: Very good, with varnish yellowing across the painting surface.
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Lai Kui Fang (Singaporean, 1936–2022) was a painter, sculptor, and portraitist best known for his historical paintings and classically inspired realist works. Born in Labis, Johor, and educated at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts before receiving a French government scholarship to study at the prestigious École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he developed a practice deeply rooted in European academic traditions. His paintings often drew upon historical events, portraiture, and romantic realism, reflecting a mastery of draughtsmanship and narrative composition.
During his fifteen years in France, Lai received numerous awards and honours, including distinctions from the French government for his contributions to the arts. Upon returning to Singapore, he became widely recognised for monumental historical commissions, including his celebrated recreation of Lee Kuan Yew's 1959 swearing-in ceremony. Working across painting, sculpture, restoration, and portraiture, he established a reputation as one of Singapore's foremost academic artists, combining technical excellence with a lifelong commitment to preserving historical memory through art.
The frame bears an inscription indicating framing in Montparnasse, Paris, likely during the artist’s time in France.
(Photographed in June 2026)