Glories @ Pinkguy

It is not often that a 70+ year old Malaysian-Chinese artist puts on a solo show.  I am fascinated with the history of Nanyang-style art in this region, although not a fan of it.  Tew Nai Tong is a Nanyang master, where his paintings are centred around hardworking, dark-skinned women from the villages, with trademark sepet eyes and apparent brushwork.  'Life of Freedom' caught my eye with its reflective subject matter - persons that have toiled through the years heading towards a swirling heaven.  Unintentional as it is, this may just be a most fitting illustration of the Chinese artists in Malaysia, many of whom have been sidelined during the 1971 National Cultural Policy, which promoted Malay art instead of Malaysian art.

Tew Nai Tong - Life of Freedom (2008)