Tay Bak Koi, Untitled (Kampung), Undated

Watercolour and gouache on paper
24 x 24 cm (visible), 52 x 52 x 2.5 cm (framed)
Condition: Very good

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Tay Bak Koi (1939-2003) was a Singaporean artist renowned for his portrayals of fishing villages, kampung (village) scenes and urban landscapes.1 He specialised in oil and watercolour. Tay’s style tends toward a blend of realism and fantasy, and he was known for his recurring stylised imagery of the buffalo. 

His works have been exhibited extensively throughout Singapore and other countries. In 1969, he was commissioned to produce some 300 works for the opening of Hilton Hotel in Singapore.

Although Tay's art is seldom described as radical, it is not conformist either. His regular buyers have claimed that they can recognise his artwork from a distance. Tay’s oeuvre began with early documentations of a vanishing Singapore with geometric kelong and kampung in the 1960s, realistic paintings of Chinatown in the 1980s and lastly, experimentations with bright colours. His works also sought to capture scenes of Southeast Asian culture.

Acquired from Eagle’s Eye Art Gallery.

(Photographed in April 2024)