Dzulkifli Buyong Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Dzulkifli Buyong Art Value Price Guide

Apr. 20, 2025
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - 2004) Two Cats, 1994
Est: RM35,000 - RM65,000
These two cats strutting out are reminescent of Disney's 1955 animated film, Lady And The Tramp, with the vampish song, The Siamese Cat Song. We are Siamese, if you please We are Siamese, if you don't please Now we looking over our new domicile If we like we stay maybe quite a while Cats are considered sacred pets which are blessed (barakah) and welcomed in homes and mosques. Dzulkifli Buyong is known for his menagerie of cats in his oil on board paintings. His is the most expensive cat, which fetched RM 134,400 for his Kucing Sakit (1986) at the Henry Butcher Oct 28, 2018 art auction. His other cat paintings easily sold for five-digits in auctions. A live Persian cat costs from RM 2,500 while a rare Ashera could fetch nearly half a million. Dzulkifli's cats are depicted with naivette humour, therein lies his forte. Dzulkifli Buyong was a self-taught child art prodigy who gained prominence when he was in the Wednesday Art Group 1962-1966. He was mentored by Patrick Ng at Victoria Institution (1961-1965). He won a slew of awards in the 1960s which included gold medals from the then Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tengku Budriah Tengku Ismail, and then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. He swept the first three prizes (pastels) in the Young Friends' Art Competition 1962, and won the 1st and 2nd prizes in the same competition the next year. He also won 2nd Prize (pastel) in the Joy Of Living competition in 1964. He had a three-year study stint in Japan in the late 1960s.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Jun. 30, 2024
MALAYSIAN OIL PAINTING OF A CAT BY DZULKIFLI BUYONG
Est: $100 - $150
Oil on canvas painting by Dzulkifli Buyong, 1948 to 2004, a Malaysian artist, member of the Wednesday Art Group. The artwork represents a cat against the red background. Signed by the artist with initials and dated 1986 in the lower left and on the backside. Wooden frame. Collectible Contemporary Fine Art, Southeast Asian Artist.
Antique Arena Inc
Oct. 01, 2023
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - 2004) Pohon Sireh, 1990
Est: RM80,000 - RM140,000
The child-like sensibility in Dzulkifli Buyong sets him apart with his Melayu Native narratives of childhood antics and domestic scenes. A gangly woman, back to viewer, clambers up the short ladder to pluck the sirih (betel) leaves with her crooked fingers while another below seems to be admiring a leaf in her hand. Buyong's paintings of childhood memories have been described as âan intense, absorbing world nourished by experience as well as an objective yet empathetic observation of his environment'. Pohon Sireh is no different. The vibrancy of the painting draws viewers in, inviting them to experience delight and revel in a usually ordinary tableau that is transformed into a compelling moment by Buyong's signature style. Buyong was dubbed a child prodigy when he swept the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prizes (Pastels) in the Young Friends' Art Competition at the age of 14, and again the 1st and 2nd (Pastels) Prizes the next year. He followed this up with a 2nd Prize (Pastel) in the Joy Of Living Competition in 1964. A leading member of the Wednesday Art Group, he was mentored by Patrick Ng Kah Onn at Victoria Institution, Kuala Lumpur from 1961 to 1965. He also had informal art training in Japan for three years in the late 1960s.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 19, 2023
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - 2004) Cat With Green Eyes, 1994
Est: RM40,000 - RM70,000
A cat with green eyes has a special aura about it, such ordinary green eyes are something to be revered. On cat's eye (not the gem pieces), it has to do with the melanin mix in the pigment matrix of pheomelanin. There are cats even with dichromatic eyes. The cat is in a relaxed pose. The stokes show the artist's impeccable skill. It is a rare work of absolute quality. Dzulkifli Buyong's menagerie of cats in paintings is about the most expensive among the feline breed, selling for as much as RM134,400, which was the premium fetched for his Kucing Sakit (1986) at the Oct 28, 2018 Henry Butcher art auction. His auction cat-apieces include Manja (RM84,000), Tiga Kucing (RM78,400), Mother And Child (RM35,000), Tiga SiManjaku (RM31,360), Keluargaku, Untitled (1979, 1987, 1989, 1994), Two Cats (Cubist, 1986), The Kiss (1997), and Rest (1987). Ironically, the prices of the living purring pets are comparatively modest, with the popular Persian breed, going for between only RM1K to RM5K. Others include the Ragdoll (RM3K-RM14K), British Shorthair (RM3K-RM5K, better prices than their American counterparts), Munchkin (RM1K-RM10K), Main Coon (RM2K-RM10K), with others like the Siberian and the Sphynx. Even late in his life, Buyong kept his starry-eyed wonder and innocence, manifesting his fragile temperament and humour. His potential was spotted in his teens, when he was already winning prizes in national competitions like Young Friends (1962, 1963) and Joy of Living (1964). When at Victoria Institution, he was mentored by Patrick Ng Kah Onn, and both Dzulkifli and Patrick Ng were the toast of the loose art coterie Wednesday Art Group formed by Peter Harris. An informal stint in Japan for nearly three years in the late 1960s took a toll on his health and emotions.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Jul. 17, 2022
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. Kuala Lumpur, 1948 - 2004) Self Portrait, 1971
Est: RM10,000 - RM16,000
Rare to obtain in the market, this self portrait of Dzulkifli Buyong is painted with vigour using exquisite shades of blue and orange hues. Dzulkifli Buyong was a wunderkind of the Wednesday Art Group which he joined from 1962 to 1966. He is known for his mini psychological dramas of children at play and in the rural home surroundings, and often with a cat in tow or sometimes with the cat taking centre stage itself. He first excelled in 1962 when he won the Best Overall Entry award presented by the Raja Permaisuri Agong and then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. His other awards include: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prizes (pastels), Young Friends’ Art Competition 1962; 3rd Prize (oil) and 3rd Prize (pastel), Mother & Child competition 1963; 1st and 2nd (pastels), Young Friends Competition 1963; 3rd Prize, Bahasa Kebangsaan Month Poster Competition, 1964; 2nd Prize (pastel), Joy of Living competition, 1964.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Jul. 17, 2022
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. Kuala Lumpur, 1948 - 2004) Rest, 1987
Est: RM45,000 - RM75,000
There's no respite from the pet cats as one tries to catch forty winks. Then again, the brood could be ‘guarding’ their sleeping master as evident by the possessive look of the cats looking over the body. The reclining back of what looks like a woman covers two-thirds of the picture and one is drawn by the simple floral and mountain patterns of the sarong as much as the electric blue of the blouse. These are domesticated cats: there are no paw scratches on the backdrop despite the scattered dirty splotches. The artist Dzulkifli Buyong is regarded as the Prince of Cats for his re-enactment of cats with their wily habits in domestic situations. Sensitive and reticent, Dzulkifli Buyong was a wunderkind of the Wednesday Art Group (WAG) in the 1960s and was influenced by Patrick Ng Kah Onn (at Victoria Institution) more than the WAG founder Peter Harris. At 14 (1962), he had swept the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prizes, for pastels, in the Young Friends art competition and repeated the feat the next year with the 1st and 2nd Prizes. His other prizes were 2nd Prize (pastel) in the Joy of Living competition in 1964 and 3rd Prize in the Bahasa Kebangsaan Month poster competition in 1964. An informal art training stint in Japan for three years proved tough on him because of the culture shock.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Jul. 17, 2022
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. Kuala Lumpur, 1948 - 2004) The Kiss, 1997
Est: RM45,000 - RM75,000
Do cats kiss? To once wunderkind artist Dzulkifli Buyong, cats loom large in his canvas oeuvre which he invests with some poetic empathy while deeply rooted in childlike innocence and humour. Like Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats, he painted them as he perceived them, with great imaginative flair. The ‘child’ in Dzulkifli Buyong never left him all his life, even after his Japan art exposure stint. Green cats, tiger-furred cats…whatever, they are more than endearing pets and friends. To cats, touching nose may be a form of greeting like a handshake, and licking is a kind of grooming. With these three cats presumably kissing, it may even look like a pact. But a cat’s kiss refers to a cat’s eye blink, often affectionate. There’s also the subtle play of geometry, the cat’s triangular spread against that of the wall corner. Kitty, Kitty, Kitty…! Sensitive and reticent, Dzulkifli Buyong was a wunderkind of the Wednesday Art Group (WAG) in the 1960s and was influenced by Patrick Ng Kah Onn (at Victoria Institution) more than the WAG founder Peter Harris. At 14 (1962), he had swept the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prizes, for pastels, in the Young Friends art competition and repeated the feat the next year with the 1st and 2nd Prizes. His other prizes were 2nd Prize (pastel) in the Joy of Living competition in 1964 and 3rd Prize in the Bahasa Kebangsaan Month poster competition in 1964. An informal art training stint in Japan for three years proved tough on him because of the culture shock.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 27, 2022
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. Kuala Lumpur, 1948 – 2004) Poster Pantun - Susunan Azah Aziz (Tidurlah Intan; Sayang; Baru Belajar; Adik-Beradik; Bermain; Kayuh Laju-Laju), 1984
Est: RM6,000 - RM10,000
Six interesting posters published by Penerbitan Akaz, Petaling Jaya in 1994 are presented. Printed by the Jabatan Penerbitan Universiti Malaya, these poster works display the combined effort of Dzulkifli and cultural expert Azah Aziz, who was responsible to curate the selection and arrangement of a series of ‘pantun kanak-kanak’ or children's rhymes. The charm and naivety of these images are truly captivating and literally traject the essences and narration of the Malay pantun. Dzulkifli Buyong was a wunderkind of the Wednesday Art Group which he joined from 1962 to 1966. He is known for his mini psychological dramas of children at play and in the rural home surroundings, and often with a cat in tow or sometimes with the cat taking centre stage itself. He first excelled in 1962 when he won the Best Overall Entry award presented by the Raja Permaisuri Agong and then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. His other awards include: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prizes (pastels), Young Friends' Art Competition 1962; 3rd Prize (oil) and 3rd Prize (pastel), Mother & Child competition 1963; 1st and 2nd (pastels), Young Friends Competition 1963; 3rd Prize, Bahasa Kebangsaan Month Poster Competition, 1964; 2nd Prize (pastel), Joy of Living competition, 1964.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 27, 2022
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. Kuala Lumpur, 1948 – 2004) Flowers (recto), c. 1969-1970; Practising Japanese Calligraphic Strokes (verso), 1969-1970
Est: RM15,000 - RM20,000
This set of 2 works, donned with floral elements of nature, gives them a strong sense of movement and life. Here, Dzulkifli pays close observation to the shapes of flowers and leaves observed in nature, and the exploration of calligraphic lines. The studies demonstrate Dzulkifli Buyong’s intuitive approach to drawing, encapsulating the rhythm of nature. Dzulkifli Buyong was a wunderkind of the Wednesday Art Group which he joined from 1962 to 1966. He is known for his mini psychological dramas of children at play and in the rural home surroundings, and often with a cat in tow or sometimes with the cat taking centre stage itself. He first excelled in 1962 when he won the Best Overall Entry award presented by the Raja Permaisuri Agong and then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. His other awards include: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prizes (pastels), Young Friends' Art Competition 1962; 3rd Prize (oil) and 3rd Prize (pastel), Mother & Child competition 1963; 1st and 2nd (pastels), Young Friends Competition 1963; 3rd Prize, Bahasa Kebangsaan Month Poster Competition, 1964; 2nd Prize (pastel), Joy of Living competition, 1964.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 27, 2022
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. Kuala Lumpur, 1948 – 2004) Self-Portrait 1, 1971
Est: RM12,000 - RM18,000
Dzulkifli Buyong was renowned for portraying scenes from childhood and cats. The artist paints himself in this work with delicate sensitivity. Illustrated with subtle colours, the face is modelled with confident brushstrokes, revealing the artist’s talent and youthful vigour. Dzulkifli Buyong was a wunderkind of the Wednesday Art Group which he joined from 1962 to 1966. He is known for his mini psychological dramas of children at play and in the rural home surroundings, and often with a cat in tow or sometimes with the cat taking centre stage itself. He first excelled in 1962 when he won the Best Overall Entry award presented by the Raja Permaisuri Agong and then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. His other awards include: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prizes (pastels), Young Friends' Art Competition 1962; 3rd Prize (oil) and 3rd Prize (pastel), Mother & Child competition 1963; 1st and 2nd (pastels), Young Friends Competition 1963; 3rd Prize, Bahasa Kebangsaan Month Poster Competition, 1964; 2nd Prize (pastel), Joy of Living competition, 1964.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Dec. 05, 2021
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. Kuala Lumpur, 1948 - d. 2004) Self Portrait, 1971
Est: RM12,000 - RM20,000
Dzulkifli Buyong was renowned for portraying scenes from childhood and cats. The artist paints himself in this work at the age of 23, with a calm and reassured gaze. Illustrated with subtle colours, the face is modelled with confident brushstrokes, revealing the artist’s talent and youthful vigour. Dzulkifli Buyong was a wunderkind of the Wednesday Art Group which he joined from 1962-1966. He is known for his mini psychological dramas of children at play and in the rural home surroundings, and often with a cat in tow or sometimes with the cat taking centre stage itself. He first excelled in 1962 when he won the Best Overall Entry award presented by the Raja Permaisuri Agong and then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. His other awards include: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prizes (pastels), Young Friends' Art Competition 1962; 3rd Prize (oil) and 3rd Prize (pastel), Mother & Child competition 1963; 1st and 2nd (pastels), Young Friends Competition 1963; 3rd Prize, Bahasa Kebangsaan Month Poster Competition, 1964; 2nd Prize (pastel), Joy of Living competition, 1964.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Dec. 05, 2021
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. Kuala Lumpur, 1948 - d. 2004) Untitled, 1989
Est: RM40,000 - RM70,000
Not again, not another cat stranded on the tree top! But this delinquent feline seems pretty confident and at home amidst the branches… until it whines, Meow, Meow… A cat operating singly, it must be up to no good. White with black patches, the cat has stopped in its tracks, something must have caught its eye… a bird prey perhaps, or another malingering cat of the opposite sex. Cats, purring manja human companions, are a recurring theme in Dzulkifli Buyong’s repertoire. Dzulkifli Buyong was a wunderkind of the Wednesday Art Group where he learnt art from 1962-1966, besides the mentorship of Patrick Ng Kah Onn at the Victoria Institution. At the age of 14, he won the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prizes (pastels), in the Young Friends competition (1962), and repeated the feat, for 1st and 2nd Prizes, the next year. He continued his winning streak in 1964, bagging 2nd Prize in the Joy Of Living competition. He had a training stint in Japan for three years in the late 1960s. His auction record was set in the Oct 28, 2018 Henry Butcher Art Auction when his Kucing Sakit (1986) hit a premium of RM134,400.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Aug. 22, 2021
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. Kuala Lumpur, 1948 - d. 2004) Self Portrait, 1971
Est: RM12,000 - RM18,000
Dzulkifli Buyong painted himself in this work, at a young age of 23 years old. Buyong looks directly at the viewer with a calm and reassured gaze. Illustrated with subtle colours in a palette of green, teal, and orange tones, the face is modelled with confident brushstrokes, revealing the artist’s talent. Buyong pursued his art training for three years in Japan in the late 1960s, this self-portrait was created post-Japan. Dzulkifli Buyong was a wunderkind of the Wednesday Art Group which he joined from 1962 to 1966. He is known for his mini psychological dramas of children at play and in the rural home surroundings, and often with a cat in tow or sometimes with the cat taking centre stage itself. He first excelled in 1962 when he won the Best Overall Entry award presented by the Raja Permaisuri Agong and then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. His other awards include: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prizes (pastels), Young Friends' Art Competition 1962; 3rd Prize (oil) and 3rd Prize (pastel), Mother & Child competition 1963; 1st and 2nd (pastels), Young Friends Competition 1963; 3rd Prize, Bahasa Kebangsaan Month Poster Competition, 1964; 2nd Prize (pastel), Joy of Living competition, 1964.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 21, 2021
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. Kuala Lumpur, 1948 – d. 2004) Untitled, 1987
Est: RM45,000 - RM75,000
The subject of cats plays an important role in the works of Dzulkifli Buyong. A mother cat and her child are depicted in exquisite colours, against a background of elegant checkered floors. Buyong captured the cat’s love for her offspring in a relaxed and tranquil scene. Cats are beloved universally not only for their beauty, but also as protectors of the house against harmful animals such as mice and insects. Dzulkifli Buyong was a wunderkind of the Wednesday Art Group which he joined from 1962 to 1966. He is known for his mini psychological dramas of children at play and in the rural home surroundings, and often with a cat in tow or sometimes with the cat taking centre stage itself. He first excelled in 1962 when he won the Best Overall Entry award presented by the Raja Permaisuri Agong and then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. His other awards include: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prizes (pastels), Young Friends’ Art Competition 1962; 3rd Prize (oil) and 3rd Prize (pastel), Mother & Child competition 1963; 1st and 2nd Prize (pastels), Young Friends Competition 1963; 3rd Prize, Bahasa Kebangsaan Month Poster Competition, 1964; 2nd Prize (pastel), Joy of Living competition, 1964.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Aug. 23, 2020
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. Kuala Lumpur, 1948 - d. 2004) Keluarga Ku, 1984
Est: RM25,000 - RM45,000
A happy family of cats… an innocuous portrait of togetherness, and an insurance that they won’t run away as single cats have the infernal habit of running away suddenly leaving their owner weeping buckets. Yet, all might not be that well if the colour of the feline fur can be taken as a paternity gauge. Papa, whose head is covered by a finicky Mama looking over her little ones, is orange. Mama is spotty – the same as one of her larger offspring, but the ‘baby’ is white. And cats usually litter when giving birth, imagine Mama giving birth one by one, unless the other siblings have been given away or perish the thought, run away themselves. To the artist Dzulkifli Buyong, cats were his best companions: they overrun his canvases – Manja, Tiga Kucing, Cat’s Mother and Child – just to mention a few. Like David Kwo Da Wei, Dzulkifli had a partiality for black cats, while Teng Chok Dee is known for his drawings of gangs of cats. Black cats, orange cats, white cats, spotty cats, they all still meow the same way, and they come with a hefty price, like RM84,000 for a two-cat painting, Manja. Dzulkifli Buyong is the child art prodigy of the Wednesday Art Group (WAG) who excelled himself at the age of 14 when he grabbed the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prizes, for pastels, in the Young Friends art competition in 1962. He won the 1st and 2nd Prizes again in 1963. In 1964, he won 2nd Prize in the Joy Of Living competition, again for a pastel work. Together with Patrick Ng Kah Onn, his mentor at Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur, they were the leading lights of WAG, set up by art education pioneer Peter Harris. He was sent to Japan for art training for three years in the late 1960s, but could not cope with life there. Dzulkifli’s Kucing Sakit (c. 1980s), 86 x 62cm, was sold for RM 134,400 in Henry Butcher Art Auction October 2018 edition.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Aug. 23, 2020
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. Kuala Lumpur, 1948 - d. 2004) Self Portrait, 1971
Est: RM10,000 - RM18,000
Dzulkifli Buyong was renowned for portraying scenes from childhood and cats. The artist paints himself in this work, when he was 23 years old. The eyes are the windows to the soul, and his gaze is calm and reassured. Illustrated with subtle colours, the face is modelled with confident brushstrokes, revealing the artist’s talent and youth. Dzulkifli Buyong was a wunderkind of the Wednesday Art Group which he joined from 1962 to 1966. He is known for his mini psychological dramas of children at play and in the rural home surroundings, and often with a cat in tow or sometimes with the cat taking centre stage itself. He first excelled in 1962 when he won the Best Overall Entry award presented by the Raja Permaisuri Agong and then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. His other awards include: 1st , 2nd and 3rd Prizes (pastels), Young Friends’ Art Competition 1962; 3rd Prize (oil) and 3rd Prize (pastel), Mother & Child competition 1963; 1st and 2nd (pastels), Young Friends Competition 1963; 3rd Prize, Bahasa Kebangsaan Month Poster Competition, 1964; 2nd Prize (pastel), Joy Of Living competition, 1964.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 15, 2020
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. Kuala Lumpur, 1948 - d. 2004) Self Portrait, 1971
Est: RM12,000 - RM18,000
Rare to obtain in the market, this self portrait of Dzulkifli Buyong is painted with vigour using exquisite shades of blue and orange hues. Dzulkifli Buyong was a wunderkind of the Wednesday Art Group which he joined from 1962 to 1966. He is known for his mini psychological dramas of children at play and in the rural home surroundings, and often with a cat in tow or sometimes with the cat taking centrestage itself. He first excelled in 1962 when he won the Best Overall Entry award presented by the Raja Permaisuri Agong and then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. His other awards include: 1st , 2nd and 3rd Prizes (pastels), Young Friends’ Art Competition 1962; 3rd Prize (oil) and 3rd Prize (pastel), Mother & Child competition 1963; 1st and 2nd (pastels), Young Friends Competition 1963; 3rd Prize, Bahasa Kebangsaan Month Poster Competition, 1964; 2nd Prize (pastel), Joy of Living competition, 1964.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Nov. 03, 2019
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Untitled, 1987
Est: RM50,000 - RM80,000
The subject of cats play an important role in the works of Dzulkifli Buyong. A mother cat and her child are depicted in exquisite colours, against a background of elegant checkered floors. Buyong captured the cat’s love for her offspring in a relaxed and tranquil scene. The cats direct gaze mesmerizes the viewer, with its gorgeous fur rendered with delicate strokes. Cats are beloved universally not only for their beauty, but also as protectors of the house against harmful animals such as mice and insects. Dzulkifli Buyong was a wunderkind of the Wednesday Art Group which he joined from 1962 to 1966. He is known for his mini psychological dramas of children at play and in the rural home surroundings, and often with a cat in tow or sometimes with the cat taking centrestage itself. He first excelled in 1962 when he won the Best Overall Entry award presented by the Raja Permaisuri Agong and then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. His other awards include: 1st , 2nd and 3rd Prizes (pastels), Young Friends’ Art Competition 1962; 3rd Prize (oil) and 3rd Prize (pastel), Mother & Child competition 1963; 1st and 2nd Prize (pastels), Young Friends Competition 1963; 3rd Prize, Bahasa Kebangsaan Month Poster Competition, 1964; 2nd Prize (pastel), Joy of Living competition, 1964.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Jun. 30, 2019
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Cat Man, 1970
Est: RM10,000 - RM18,000
The face is a mark of identity and expressions, and yet it can be inscrutable. The face here can’t possibly be a self-portrait but is open to different psychological interpretations. The artist, Dzulkifli Buyong, was known to be sensitive, reticent and given to solitary brooding, and this work during his Japanese sojourn around 1969-70 perhaps indicates his descent into personal turmoil because he found Japan a cultural shock. There’s lots of tension with the coloured lines either emanating from, or flowing to, the face proper. The eyebrows are all screwed together indicating a tensed inner trauma and it might recall the kabuki face painting of Kumadori. Buyong is known for painting cats, or it could be seen as (cat) whiskers growing on a man’s face. Dzulkifli Buyong was a wunderkind of the Wednesday Art Group which he joined from 1962-1966. He is known for his mini psychological dramas of children at play and in the rural home surroundings, and often with a cat in tow or sometimes with the cat taking centrestage itself. He first excelled in 1962 when he won the Best Overall Entry award presented by the Raja Permaisuri Agong and then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. His other awards include: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prizes (pastels), Young Friends’ Art Competition 1962; 3rd Prize (oil) and 3rd Prize (pastel), Mother & Child competition 1963; 1st and 2nd (pastels), Young Friends Competition 1963; 3rd Prize, Bahasa Kebangsaan Month Poster Competition, 1964; 2nd Prize (pastel), Joy Of Living competition, 1964. His auction record was RM134,400 set in the October 2018 Henry Butcher Art Auction for Kucing Sakit (1984).
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 24, 2019
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Poster Pantun - Susunan Azah Aziz (Tidurlah Intan; Sayang; Baru Belajar; Adik-Beradik; Bermain; Kayuh Laju-Laju), 1984
Est: RM8,000 - RM14,000
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Poster Pantun - Susunan Azah Aziz (Tidurlah Intan; Sayang; Baru Belajar; Adik-Beradik; Bermain; Kayuh Laju-Laju), 1984 50 x 36cm each (set of 6)
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 24, 2019
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Riverine Landscape, Tokyo (recto); Rural Landscape, Tokyo (verso), c. 1969-1970
Est: RM7,000 - RM12,000
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Riverine Landscape, Tokyo (recto); Rural Landscape, Tokyo (verso), c. 1969-1970 30 x 40cm
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 24, 2019
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) A Farm, Tokyo (recto); Rural Vegetation, Tokyo (verso), 1969; 1969
Est: RM7,500 - RM12,500
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) A Farm, Tokyo (recto); Rural Vegetation, Tokyo (verso), 1969; 1969 30 x 40cm
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 24, 2019
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Flowers (recto); Practising Japanese Calligraphic Strokes (verso), c. 1969-1970; 1969-1970
Est: RM12,000 - RM20,000
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Flowers (recto); Practising Japanese Calligraphic Strokes (verso), c. 1969-1970; 1969-1970 40 x 31cm
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 24, 2019
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Multi-Coloured Flowers, Tokyo, 1969-1970
Est: RM10,000 - RM17,000
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Multi-Coloured Flowers, Tokyo, 1969-1970 30 x 40cm
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 24, 2019
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Portrait Of Filipino Friend (Edwin) In Tokyo (recto); Japanese Rural Landscape Outside Tokyo (verso), 1969-1970
Est: RM9,000 - RM15,000
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Portrait Of Filipino Friend (Edwin) In Tokyo (recto); Japanese Rural Landscape Outside Tokyo (verso), 1969-1970 37 x 31cm
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 24, 2019
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Self-Portrait 2, 1971
Est: RM16,000 - RM24,000
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Self-Portrait 2, 1971 32 x 24cm
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 24, 2019
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Self-Portrait 1, 1971
Est: RM16,000 - RM24,000
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Self-Portrait 1, 1971 32 x 24cm
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 24, 2019
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Forest Riverscape, 1993
Est: RM50,000 - RM80,000
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Forest Riverscape, 1993 84 x 56cm
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 24, 2019
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Two Cats (Cubist), 1986
Est: RM50,000 - RM80,000
Dzulkifli Buyong (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Two Cats (Cubist), 1986 45 x 76cm
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Oct. 28, 2018
DZULKIFLI BUYONG (b. 1948 - d. 2004) Kucing Sakit, 1984
Est: RM120,000 - RM200,000
Kucing Sakit (Sick Cat) is without doubt a quintessential Dzulkifli Buyong. Paper Boat (1966), Mosquito Net (1964) and Burning Ants (1967), are all pastels and in the Malaysian National Art Gallery collection. What more, this is an unusual oil on masonite board. There are two things that fascinate and is fascinating of, Dzulkifli, and they are children and cats in ordinary domestic situations, maybe too because of the Malays' reverence for cats. His works with naivette and humour went against the grain of the nature and temperament of the times that make Dzulkifli difficult to categorise, and certainly unique. Here, a boy in a squatting pose, is offering his sick cat a bowl of milk in the hope that it could gain strength and recover quickly. So much love and affection is shown, that this piece was selected for KL Biennale 2017 (theme is Be Loved) held at National Art Gallery Malaysia. Dzulkifli Buyong is regarded as a self-taught art prodigy, excelling himself even when he was studying at the Victoria Institution (secondary school) from 1961-1965, when he received guidance from Patrick Ng Kah Onn. He even received the gold medal from the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tengku Budriah Tengku Ismail in one of the competitions. He won 3rd Prize and then 1st / 2nd Prizes, for his pastel works, in the Young Friends competition in 1962 and 1963 respectively; and 3rd Prize in the Bahasa Kebangsaan Month poster competition in 1964. He had said: â€aeI like to paint children, colourful games, and subjective paintings about my surroundings. Beauty is not important. Better common things that other people don't see, everyday happenings, children particularly their gaiety and liveliness.â€ REFERENCE Modern Artists of Malaysia, TK Sabapathy and Redza Piyadasa, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 1983.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Apr. 29, 2018
DZULKIFLI BUYONG (b. 1948 - 2004) UNTITLED, 1994, Oil on board
Est: RM20,000 - RM35,000
Dzulkifli Buyong’s cats are one of the most expensive cats in the world, and what’s strange, they can’t even ‘meow’. His Masterpiece Auction’s cat, Manja, sold for RM84,000 premium on Oct 30, 2016, and Henry Butcher achieved a premium RM78,400, upwards of its RM60,000 high estimate, for Tiga Kucing (oil on plywood, 1994) in its Nov 9, 2014 auction. Also, Dzulkifli seemed to like black cats, but this one is not, so it’s different from his usual. But the Dzulkifli Buyong auction record, not anything to do with cats, is still held by Henry Butcher, for Tidurlah Anakku (1967) at its May 2012 auction, for a premium of RM93,500. The domestic cat is a revered animal in Islam, because it was loved by the Prophet Muhammad. Cats are a Malay’s best friend, although such felines are known to have inexplicably disappeared one fine day, leaving their owners totally distraught. Dzulkifli Buyong is regarded as a child art prodigy when he won the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prizes, for pastels, in the Young Friends art competition at the age of 14 in 1962. He repeated his feat the next year by winning the 1st and 2nd Prizes. In 1964, he won 2nd Prize in the Joy Of Living competition, again for a pastel work. He was a leading member of the Wednesday Art Group, together with his mentor Patrick Ng Kah Onn when studying under him at the Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur in 1961-1965. He was sent to Japan for art training for three years in the late 1960s. Dzulkifli had said: “I like to paint children, colourful games, and subjective paintings about my surroundings. Beauty is not important. Better common things that other people don’t see. Everyday happenings, children particularly, their gaiety and liveliness.”
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 11, 2018
TIGA MANGGIS
Est: RM50,000 - RM70,000
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The Edge Auction
Sep. 04, 2016
DZULKIFLI BUYONG( B. Kuala Lumpur, 1948-2004) Untitled, 1979 Pastel on paper
Est: RM3,800 - RM7,000
Dzulkifli Buyong received his art education at the Victoria Institution from 1961 to 1965, studying under V.I.’s well-known artist and art teacher, Patrick Ng, and was a regular member of the Wednesday Art Group. Before he was nineteen years of age, he had already been exhibiting publicly and had won many prizes. Hailed as a prodigy, he was regarded as a teenage sensation of the Malaysian art scene and the darling of the Kuala Lumpur art circles. Dzulkifli describes himself: “I like to paint children, colourful games, and subjective paintings about my surroundings. Beauty is not important. Better common things that other people don’t see. Everyday happenings, children particularly, their gaiety and liveliness.” This piece is exactly that, as he captures with paster on paper a mother cat and her kitten. In her biographical note on Dzulkifli, Dolores Wharton adds to the observation: “Dzulkifli’s work is part of the community. Neighbours and children enjoy posing for him while he sketches. It is evident that he is clear-sighted in his thoughts, purposeful in his practice and decisive in aesthetic preference. He aims at depicting the vivacity, particularly of everyday life, which, he correctly observes, tends to be ignored or neglected. Dzulkifli’s ‘surroundings’ are people, shaped by children; he digs deep into the domain of children, especially into the realm of play; he also dredges events and memories from his own children. What he constructs in his pictures is an intense, absorbing world nourished by experience as well as an objective yet empathetic observation of his environment...”
KLAS Art Auction
Apr. 24, 2016
DZULKIFLI BUYONG (B. Kuala Lumpur, 1948-2004) 'Untitled'
Est: RM22,000 - RM35,000
Signed and dated "DB82" on lower right
KLAS Art Auction
Nov. 09, 2014
DZULKIFLI BUYONG (b. 1948 - d. 2004), Tiga Kucing (Three Cats), 1994, oil on plywood
Est: RM40,000 - RM60,000
DZULKIFLI BUYONG b. Kuala Lumpur, 1948 - 2004 TIGA KUCING (THREE CATS), 1994 Signed and dated 'DB 1994' (lower right) Oil on plywood 75cm x 47cm A celebrated figurative painter, Dzulkifli Buyong is represented here with a charming illustration of three domestic cats in a queuing position, as though waiting to be fed. The talented artist was known to render his subjects with remarkable sensitivity and instinct. Depicted in a neutral palette of white, grey, black, brown and yellow, the comfort of viewing the endearing cats gives a sense of contentment and homeliness. Dzulkifli Buyong was dubbed a child prodigy when he swept the First, Second and Third Prizes (Pastel) at the Young Friends' Art Competition at the age of 14, and again the First and Second Prizes the following year. He received the Second Prize (Pastel) at the Joy of Living Competition in 1964. A leading member of the Wednesday Art Group founded by Peter Harris in 1952, he was mentored by Patrick Ng Kah Onn at Victoria Institution, Kuala Lumpur from 1961 to 1965. Other members of WAG included Cheong Laitong, Jolly Koh, Antony Lau, Ismail Mustam, Hajedar Abdul Majid, Mustapha Mahmud, Zakaria Noor, Ho Kai Peng, Liau Siat Moi, Grace Selvanayagam, Phoon Poh Hon, Abdul Halim Mat and more. He also had informal art training in Japan for three years in the late 1960s. He has participated in a number of exhibitions namely Young Friends' Exhibitions sponsored by the Arts Council of Malaysia (1962 - 1963); Young Artists' Exhibitions sponsored by the Arts Council of Malaysia (1962 - 1965); Annual Wednesday Art Group Exhibitions (1962 - 1966); Angkatan Pelukis Semenanjung Exhibition (1965); Contemporary Art in Asia (1965); Exhibition of Malaysian Art for Australia sponsored by the National Art Gallery (1965) and National Art Gallery Annual Exhibitions and the Open Malaysian Artists' Exhibitions sponsored by the Arts Council of Malaysia (1964 - 1965). He had won several awards at a very young age which included gold medals from the then Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tengku Budriah Tengku Ismail and Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj for "The Best Overall Entry" during the Young Artists Contemporaries competition. REFERENCE Modern Artists of Malaysia, T.K.Sabapathy and Redza Piyadasa, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 1983.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers