CHUA EK KAY (1947-2008)

Chua Ek Kay's iconic street scenes capture the quiet and charm of humble alleyways through the masterful handling of the gradation of black and the rhythmic orchestration of each brushstroke he executes. In the two present lots, the artist successfully conveys the introspection characteristic of Chinese ink painting in the expressionist xieyi style. With expressive surety, Chua constructs the semblance of the side of a traditional shophouse in odd perspective. An insistent mood of nostalgia pervades Chua's street scenes, and is made even more evident in the case of Blue Window, depicting a particular street corner which Chua would repeatedly paint with his brush.