"Dialogue" with the Second Generation of Malaysia's "Father of Batik Painting": Chuah Seow Keng
Batik, also known as wax-resist dyeing, is a craft first made known to the world in Indonesia. It is also widely practiced in the Yunnan-Guizhou region of China. Over the past century, batik painting has flourished in Malaysia, becoming widely recognized as a representative traditional art form of the country. The basic principle of its creation is "resist dyeing"—using wax to block areas of the fabric that do not need to be dyed, and then removing the wax with hot water after the fabric is dyed. However, creating a true work of batik painting art using this seemingly simple principle is extremely time-consuming and challenging.
In this issue of "Dialogue," we visited the home of Malaysia's "Father of Batik Painting" Chuah Thean Teng (1912-2008) and talked with second-generation artist Chuah Seow Keng about batik painting and the legendary story that spans half a century.
Interviewee: Chuah Seow Keng
Interviewer: LL/1.25 Inches Studio
Biography
Chuah Seow Keng, born in 1945, is recognized as one of Malaysia's top artists, known for his batik paintings, watercolors, and fiberglass sculptures. In 1968, he received a scholarship to study at the Suddeutsche Kunststoff-Zentrum in Würzburg, Germany. Upon returning to Malaysia, he followed in the footsteps of his father, Chuah Thean Teng, learning batik painting and embarking on an artistic career that has spanned five to six decades, developing his unique style of artistic expression. In 1974, the German TV channel Zweites-Deutsches-Fernsehen-Trans-Tel made a documentary about Seow Keng and his brothers, introducing batik painting art to German audiences. Throughout his career, his batik paintings have been exhibited worldwide and have been featured multiple times on UNICEF greeting cards. Today, at 79 years old, he continues to pursue his passion for art.
Honors of Chuah Seow Keng
Image source: excerpt from "The Art of Chuah Seow Keng"
01
“Welcome to Yahong Art Gallery!”
Address: 58-D, Jalan Batu Ferringhi, 11100 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
Batu Ferringhi is a famous beach resort area on Penang Island, Malaysia, and the Yahong Art Gallery is located along this beautiful coastline.
"From the time my father built it in 1975 until now, it's been nearly fifty years. We've lived and created art here. My father's ancestral home is in Jinjiang, Quanzhou, Fujian, and 'Yahong' is derived from the Minnan dialect pronunciation of 'coconut wind.' But in fact, this gallery started as a small studio and shop on Leith Street, primarily providing art materials for schools and students. It wasn't until his paintings gradually became famous that the gallery was built here in 1974."
Early watercolor painting of the studio/shop on Leith Street
Image captured at Yahong Art Gallery
"The entire building has the same structure as the shophouses in Xiamen, with a store on the first floor and living quarters upstairs. Now, the first floor of this gallery mainly sells local and Oriental handicrafts to tourists. There are also many exotic treasures in the sunken space at the back of the first floor, such as old Malaysian medicine horns, Sarawak chief's staffs, and exquisite Chinese tile paintings. But if you're particularly interested in batik, let's head to the second-floor gallery."
02
“The Story Begins with My Father”
"My father had an exceptional talent and passion for art. At eighteen, he came to Malaysia and joined my grandfather in business, but due to the economic downturn, he eventually became a teacher. During his teaching years, he rekindled his artistic interests, carving woodcuts from trees he chopped down himself, and sending them back to China for publication."
Early Woodcut Works by Chuah Thean Teng,
Image Source: Taken at Yahong Art Gallery
"But in 1941, when the Japanese forces invaded British Malaya, the war disrupted everything, and he could no longer continue as a teacher. During the turbulent war years, he tried various jobs: vendor, baker, farmer, laborer, cook, merchant, and umbrella maker, among others. It was during this period, while moving between British Malaya, Thailand, and the Dutch East Indies, that he first encountered the more developed batik techniques in the Dutch East Indies."
"Later, he attempted to establish a batik clothing factory in Malaysia, but he couldn’t compete with the low-priced products coming from the Dutch East Indies, and the factory ultimately closed. However, under this intense pressure, he came up with the revolutionary idea of combining his artistic talent with batik techniques. Using the leftover fabrics and dyes from the factory, he experimented time and again, giving birth to his own era of Batik painting."
Self-Portrait of Chuah Thean Teng,
Image Source: Selected from Chuah Thean Teng Retrospective (1994)
03
“Humanity is Our Greatest Source of Creative Inspiration”
"We all believe that the art of a place reflects its society and surroundings. To truly express a local artistic style, one must paint the environment and cultural landscape of the people. Therefore, we have used our paintings to 'record' many scenes of rural life in Southeast Asia, such as women working in the fields, mothers with their children, and village life. These are the images that capture the essence of local traditions and way of life."
Painting by Chuah Seow Keng,
Image Source: Taken at Yahong Art Gallery
"Typically, we don’t restrict ourselves to any specific subject matter or medium; we simply paint what we find beautiful or interesting. For instance, I was born in the Year of the Rooster, so I often observe chickens and have painted them many times (laughs)."
Painting by Chuah Seow Keng,
Image Source: Selected from The Art of Chuah Seow Keng
04
“Our Philosophy is Aligned, but Our Styles are Ever-Changing”
"We have all been influenced by various art styles, such as Cubism and Impressionism, so we enjoy experimenting with different modes of artistic expression. This is also our way of showcasing the diverse possibilities of batik painting. Some styles were quite controversial in the early days. For example, some of my father's relatively abstract works were once considered 'unorthodox.' But from today’s perspective, people appreciate his bold experimentation with exaggerated styles, or even comic-like elements, as something very avant-garde for that time."
Painting by Chuah Thean Teng,
Image Source: Selected from Chuah Thean Teng Retrospective (1994)
"In addition to creating works with distinct lines, vibrant colors, and tropical imagery, I have also experimented with incorporating the essence of traditional Chinese ink painting. By using varied lines and colors, I aim to convey a sense of space and movement that blends both reality and abstraction."
Painting by Chuah Seow Keng,
Image Source: Selected from The Art of Chuah Seow Keng
05
“Creating Batik Requires Effort and Time”
"Batik painting is typically done on pure cotton fabric, although silk can also be used. Polyester is generally avoided because it can affect the diffusion of colors during the dyeing process. The wax used is mostly either paraffin or beeswax. When painting, the wax is first heated and melted into a liquid, which is then transferred into a funnel pen (referred to as chanting in Malay) to draw on the fabric."
Funnel Pen Used in Painting (Malay: Chanting),
Image Source: Taken at Yahong Art Gallery
"When I paint, I first sketch on the fabric with charcoal before starting with the wax. The entire painting process requires a lot of effort and time, involving continuous adjustments. For instance, different funnel pens can create lines of varying thicknesses, and the coloring process also has many elements of randomness. The seemingly irregular and complex lines in some of the paintings are achieved by first applying a large amount of wax, allowing it to solidify on the fabric, then pinching the wax to create cracks, followed by adding color, washing off the wax, and repeating the steps to color other areas."
Chuah Seow Keng Demonstrating the Sketching and Wax Application Process,
Image Source: Taken at Yahong Art Gallery
"There are many intricate details involved in this process. For instance, the choice of wax and dye can significantly affect the coloring results. In paintings with clear lines, there may be a higher proportion of paraffin wax used; conversely, in those with softer, blurred edges, beeswax may be more predominant."
Different Effects Produced by Various Wax Materials and Dyes,
Image Source: Taken at Yahong Art Gallery
06
“Batik is Like a Soft Colored Glass Window”
"Once the painting is completed on the fabric, we simply reinforce it with a thin layer of xuan paper on the back before framing it. To showcase the translucent qualities of the fabric, we choose to place the artwork in a transparent frame and hang it in windows, treating it like an indoor window."
Exhibition of Selected Works in the Gallery After Dark,
Image Source: Taken at Yahong Art Gallery
In the blazing afternoon sun, when the lights are turned off, the space filled with artworks suddenly plunges into darkness. Only the intense tropical sunlight filters through the fabric, infusing all the paintings, spanning over half a century, with remarkable vitality in an instant. It resembles the stained glass art of the Church of St. Lawrence, yet possesses a softness and lightness distinct from glass, enriched by vibrant colors and textures.
Reflecting on this experience, I find it difficult to accurately articulate the profound impact I felt at that moment. It stirs the same impulse to shed tears as I did then, as if I was experiencing the fluidity of space, time, and art for the very first time.
Special Thanks To:
The two sincere artists who guided and explained: Chuah Seow Keng and Chuah Shang Ling
A gallery that has housed half a century of legends: Yahong Art Gallery
About the Author
LL currently resides in Canada, a person fascinated by architecture yet attempting to break free from the industry. They are interested in all things quirky and are still wandering through the wilderness of life.