Private collection, Penang; acquired directly from the artist
Description
Lye Yau Fatt, the poet of back-lanes best known for his drybrush watercolours, is back in his element with the subjects and style that won him great acclaim during the 1980s. Evident in this photo-realistic painting with painstaking details, the artist has successfully transferred this technique onto canvas using acrylic. The blooming Morning Glory grown from a kettle pot standing on a wood trestle is the highlight of this back-lane scene amidst the clutter of a discarded wooden frame, a large urn and stone mortar, while a straw hat hangs on a triangular cage with the feathered creatures out and about, relaxing nearby.