Pastoral charms and rustic women – the batik art of Teng

An appreciation of a local legend

One does not run the risk of an overstatement when describing Chuah Thean Teng as the pioneer of batik painting. He is, after all, recognized internationally as the master of an exquisite and delicate art - one which requires skill, draftness, patience and meticulousness. In the fickle, fidgety and evolving world of art, his oeuvre has carved a permanent niche in the rare pantheon reserved for timeless and sublime works of beauty.