Teng Nee Cheong, Lotus in the Rain III, 1979
Gouache on paper
34 x 49.5 cm (visible), 47.5 x 62.5 x 3.5 cm (framed)
Condition: Good, with a tear measuring approximately 4 cm on the bottom left section, and foxing throughout the work.
Certificate of Authenticity from the Estate of Teng Nee Cheong available.
-
Teng Nee Cheong (Singaporean, 1951–2013) studied at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (1966–1968) under the influence of mentors like Georgette Chen and Ng Yat Chuan. Throughout his career, Teng demonstrated mastery across oil, pastel and charcoal, though it is his intimate still lifes that reveal a quieter, more contemplative strand of his practice
In these early to mid‑career works, Teng imbued everyday produce with both formality and lyricism. Teng’s still lifes occupy an important place within his wider oeuvre, bridging his training in Nanyang figure and local landscape traditions with the more ornate, symbolic narratives he later developed. They demonstrate his capacity for attentive observation and formal refinement, serving as foundational studies in colour, shape and composition.
Teng’s early career laid the groundwork for what would become a highly individual and expressive body of work. In 1978, he received the Ministry of Culture Special Award, marking a moment of national recognition that affirmed his artistic direction. While he would go on to explore identity and queerness in later decades, his earlier works already signalled enduring interests in visual storytelling, ornamentation, and cultural synthesis—elements that would come to define his singular artistic language.
Working with primary colours, Teng depicts the lotus with a certain grace reminiscent of traditional Chinese painting, yet introduces stark contrasts through its medium of gouache, all bold lines, and vivid hues. Even at this stage, Teng’s departure from convention signals his quiet defiance of established artistic norms - an early glimpse into the boundary-pushing approach that would come to define his practice.
(Photographed in June 2025)