Malaysian Life, 1970, Batik
Chuah Thean Teng, also known as Teng, was born in Fujian, China in 1912. His early education took place in Amoy Academy of Art, also located in his hometown. He was 14 when he first came to Malaya to help his father run a trading business selling paper umbrellas, combs, and other supplies in Penang. He returned to Penang in 1932 and his passion for batik was ignited when he open the sarong factory in 1946. This job became a turning point in his life.
Teng believed that a vibrant and eloquent way of drawing on batik would draw in viewers to his 'Malaysian Life'. Through images of people tapping rubber, pounding rice, sorting dried fish, and lifting a basket full of local fruits, he portrayed the everyday lives of Malaysians and their social customs in 1970.
