Eng Tay was born in Kedah, West Malaysia in 1947. The artist moved to New York City in 1968 and studied at the Arts Students League, School of Visual Arts and Pratt Graphic Center. There he studied graphic design, painting, and printmaking. After two years of travelling and painting throughout South America and Asia, he settled in New York. Eng Tay works in several media such as painting (mainly oil and mixed media), ceramics, sculpture, and prints (mainly limited edition etchings).