Kow Leong Kiang Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Kow Leong Kiang Art Value Price Guide

Dec. 08, 2024
Kow Leong Kiang (b. 1970) Malayan Nights 1010, 2017
Est: RM30,000 - RM50,000
According to the exhibition catalogue, Kow Leong Kiang "portrays his image collection of Malay girl in order to convey various displays of emotions, which are inexplicable, fragile, disturbed, tempted, confused and sometimes absurd. Indirectly, these feelings reflect his thoughts on the local scenarios of his country as he demonstrates his current growth throughout his body of work." Kow Leong Kiang received his Diploma in Fine Art in 1991 from Kuala Lumpur College of Art. In 1998, he won the Grand Prize in the Philip Morris Asean Art Awards. In 2004, he was a resident artist at Vermont Studio Center, USA. In 2008, he completed a residency with Valentine Willie Fine Art (VWFA) and Tembi Contemporary in Yogyakarta, Indonesia and has spent three years between Malaysia and Indonesia where he exhibited regularly. He participated in two artist residency programs initiated by Baik Art in 2013 and 2015, which took place at Seoul and Jeju Island, Korea and 18th Street Art Center, California, USA respectively. Among his solo exhibitions included Human at Red Mill Gallery, Vermont, USA and Floating World at VWFA KL (2003); Silent Conversation at VWFA KL (2005); Other People at VWFA KL (2007); Jogja Constellation at Tembi Contemporary, Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2009); Intimate Collisions at VWFA KL (2010); and Facescape Of Bali at Bazaar Art, Jakarta, Indonesia (2015). He has also participated in group exhibitions in Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Vietnam namely Continuities: Contemporary Art Of Malaysia At The Turn Of 21st Century held at Guangdong Museum of Art, China (2004); Tenggara: Contemporary Paintings from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines at the Novus Contemporary Urban Centre, Liverpool, UK (2008); Headlights at VWFA Singapore and Tanah Ayer: Malaysian Stories From The Land at Selasar Soenaryo, Bandung, Indonesia (2011). Kow has also been participating in international art fairs such as Art Stage Singapore, Art Taipei and Art Kaohsiung in Taiwan, Start Art Fair (held at Saatchi Gallery) in UK, and Art Busan in Korea.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Dec. 08, 2024
Kow Leong Kiang (b. 1970) Balinese Girl In Bed, 2002
Est: RM11,000 - RM18,000
An early painting from the artist's oeuvre of a sleeping beauty emanates a delicate atmosphere, conveyed through the technique of subtle shading. The model's angelic face is accentuated through the position of her arms. Partially lit by a dim glow, the feminine contours of the body are carefully modelled with gentle brushstrokes. Kow Leong Kiang received his Diploma in Fine Art in 1991 from Kuala Lumpur College of Art. In 1998, he won the Grand Prize in the Philip Morris Asean Art Awards. In 2004, he was a resident artist at Vermont Studio Center, USA. In 2008, he completed a residency with Valentine Willie Fine Art (VWFA) and Tembi Contemporary in Yogyakarta, Indonesia and has spent three years between Malaysia and Indonesia where he exhibited regularly. He participated in two artist residency programs initiated by Baik Art in 2013 and 2015, which took place at Seoul and Jeju Island, Korea and 18th Street Art Center, California, USA respectively. Among his solo exhibitions included Human at Red Mill Gallery, Vermont, USA and Floating World at VWFA KL (2003); Silent Conversation at VWFA KL (2005); Other People at VWFA KL (2007); Jogja Constellation at Tembi Contemporary, Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2009); Intimate Collisions at VWFA KL (2010); and Facescape Of Bali at Bazaar Art, Jakarta, Indonesia (2015). He has also participated in group exhibitions in Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Vietnam namely Continuities: Contemporary Art Of Malaysia At The Turn Of 21st Century held at Guangdong Museum of Art, China (2004); Tenggara: Contemporary Paintings from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines at the Novus Contemporary Urban Centre, Liverpool, UK (2008); Headlights at VWFA Singapore and Tanah Ayer: Malaysian Stories From The Land at Selasar Soenaryo, Bandung, Indonesia (2011). Kow has also been participating in international art fairs such as Art Stage Singapore, Art Taipei and Art Kaohsiung in Taiwan, Start Art Fair (held at Saatchi Gallery) in UK, and Art Busan in Korea.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Aug. 25, 2024
Kow Leong Kiang (b. 1970) Sea Breeze 2, 2015
Est: RM55,000 - RM68,000
Contemporary artist Kow Leong Kiang is known for his romantic portrayals of figures placed in outdoor rural surroundings. Sea Breeze 2 contains the hallmark features of the artist, replete with a delicate colour palette of earthy hues. The artist concentrated on the natural expression of the figure amidst a contemplative atmosphere, enhanced by the breadth of wind. He employed fluid brushwork of varying strokes and textures smoothly layered across the canvas, creating a luminous effect emanating from within, harmonised with the serene landscapes of the East Coast. Kow Leong Kiang stamped his class when he won the highly coveted Grand Prize in the Philip Morris Asean Art Award, the only Malaysian to have done so, in the finals in Vietnam in 1998, with his work called Mr. Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country, which established him as a major figurative artist. He graduated from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991 and showed early promise when he won the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists competition in 1992 and the National Day Art Competition in Kuala Lumpur. He was awarded the Freeman Foundation Asian Artist fellowship for a two-month artist's residency at the Vermont Studio Centre in the United States in 2004. He held his solo exhibition To The Sea at Ernst and Young Gallery in Singapore in August 2012 under the Asia Outreach Programme. A member of the provocative F Klub, Kow Leong Kiang continues to create sensuous figurative images alongside his peers Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Shia Yih-Yiing, Marvin Chan, Chong Ai Lei, Gan Chin Lee and Chin Kong Yee with an exhibition titled Scent of Bali upon returning from an inspirational trip to Bali in 2013. He also participated in the group show Art@Whiteaways, a special project exhibition in conjunction with the Georgetown Festival in Penang the same year.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Aug. 18, 2024
KOW LEONG KIANG : Fertile Essence Series, 1997
Est: RM1,800 - RM3,000
Kow Leong Kiang’s Fertile Essence series is a captivating exploration of nature’s reproductive cycle. Using vibrant colors and dynamic brushstrokes, Kiang transforms landscapes into abstract representations of life’s generative power. The series often features bold, organic forms that evoke images of seeds, flowers, and the earth itself, suggesting a deep-rooted connection between humanity and the natural world.
KLAS Art Auction
Jan. 14, 2024
Kow Leong Kiang (b. 1970) Boat, 2007
Est: RM20,000 - RM35,000
Known for depicting romantic portrayal of figures immersed in local landscapes, this work contains the hallmark features of the artist, replete with a subtle yet elegant colour palette. Situated against a vast green backdrop, the artist creates atmosphere effortlessly and captures the beauty and youth of a lady in a state of contemplation. Kow Leong Kiang stamped his class when he won the highly coveted Grand Prize in the Philip Morris Asean Art Award, the only Malaysian to have done so, in the finals in Vietnam in 1998, with his work called Mr. Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country, which established him as a major figurative artist. He graduated from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991 and showed early promise when he won the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists competition in 1992 and the National Day Art Competition in Kuala Lumpur. He was awarded the Freeman Foundation Asian Artist fellowship for a two-month artist's residency at the Vermont Studio Centre in the United States in 2004. He held his solo exhibition To The Sea at Ernst and Young Gallery in Singapore in August 2012 under the Asia Outreach Programme. A member of the provocative F Klub, Kow Leong Kiang continues to create sensuous figurative images alongside his peers Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Shia Yih-Yiing, Marvin Chan, Chong Ai Lei, Gan Chin Lee and Chin Kong Yee with an exhibition titled Scent Of Bali upon returning from an inspirational trip to Bali in 2013. He also participated in the group show Art@Whiteaways, a special project exhibition in conjunction with the Georgetown Festival in Penang the same year. The ever-talented artist has explored various nuances of figurative style drawings and paintings including nudes from his Collisions series and most recently his interest in examining the male figure.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Oct. 01, 2023
Kow Leong Kiang (b. 1970) Malayan Nights 1010, 2017
Est: RM32,000 - RM45,000
According to the exhibition catalogue, Kow Leong Kiang "portrays his image collection of Malay girl in order to convey various displays of emotions, which are inexplicable, fragile, disturbed, tempted, confused and sometimes absurd. Indirectly, these feelings reflect his thoughts on the local scenarios of his country as he demonstrates his current growth throughout his body of work." Kow Leong Kiang received his Diploma in Fine Art in 1991 from Kuala Lumpur College of Art. In 1998, he won the Grand Prize in the Philip Morris Asean Art Awards. In 2004, he was a resident artist at Vermont Studio Center, USA. In 2008, he completed a residency with Valentine Willie Fine Art (VWFA) and Tembi Contemporary in Yogyakarta, Indonesia and has spent few years between Malaysia and Indonesia where he exhibited regularly. He participated in two artist residency programs initiated by Baik Art in 2013 and 2015, which took place at Seoul and Jeju Island, Korea and 18th Street Art Center, California, USA respectively. Among his solo exhibitions included Human at Red Mill Gallery, Vermont, USA and Floating World at VWFA KL (2003); Silent Conversation at VWFA KL (2005); Other People at VWFA KL (2007); Jogja Constellation at Tembi Contemporary, Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2009); Intimate Collisions at VWFA KL (2010); and Facescape Of Bali at Bazaar Art, Jakarta, Indonesia (2015). He has also participated in group exhibitions in Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Vietnam namely Continuities: Contemporary Art Of Malaysia At The Turn Of 21st Century held at Guangdong Museum of Art, China (2004); Tenggara: Contemporary Paintings from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines at the Novus Contemporary Urban Centre, Liverpool, UK (2008); Headlights at VWFA Singapore and Tanah Ayer: Malaysian Stories From The Land at Selasar Soenaryo, Bandung, Indonesia (2011). Kow has also been participating in international art fairs such as Art Stage Singapore, Art Taipei and Art Kaohsiung in Taiwan, Start Art Fair (held at Saatchi Gallery) in UK, and Art Busan in Korea.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Oct. 01, 2023
Kow Leong Kiang (b. 1970) Facescape Of Bali 15, 2015
Est: RM32,000 - RM45,000
From 1999 to 2003, Kow Leong Kiang had scoured the countryside of Kelantan and Terengganu, to paint winsome portraits of pre-adolescent Malay kampung girls, with their innocence, natural beauty and alacrity. In 2015, he reprised these portraits in his wanderings in Bali, but on a much bigger-format canvas. Is any trait discernible between the Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts? In a globalised world of shrinking differences and better diet, age conventions hold still. But cultural traits do offer clues, like this girl in a colourful Indonesian batik print, and a more liberal pose with slightly ruffled hair and showing the neck and upper part of the body. What is perhaps unusual about this girl is her bee-stung lips. This is the second time Leong Kiang's Facescape was put up in the Henry Butcher Art Auction, the first being in the November 2017 edition, where his No. 12 snared a premium of RM44,460. Kow Leong Kiang shot to superstardom when he became the first and only Malaysian to have clinched Southeast Asia's most prestigious award, the Grand Prize of the Philip Morris Asean Art Award, in the finals in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 1998, for his magnum opus, Mr. Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country. His other accolades are the Minor Award in the Bakat Muda Sezaman (Young Contemporary Artists) and the Major Award in the National Day competition, both in 1992. Art residencies in Vermont, USA (2004) and Tembi Contemporary in Yogyakarta boosted his exposures and potential. He had also taken part in internationals like Art Busan, Art Formosa and Art Stage Singapore.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Oct. 01, 2023
Kow Leong Kiang (b. 1970) Inner Line Series, 2004
Est: RM6,000 - RM10,000
In Kow Leong Kiang's drawings, representations of figures are often created by elegant lines and soft textures. The medium of pastel was utilised to create a realistic sketch appearing on the surface, giving the overall image a serene touch. Gentle strokes applied carefully were used to capture the calm expressions of the face. Kow Leong Kiang stamped his class when he won the highly coveted Grand Prize in the Philip Morris Asean Art Award, the only Malaysian to have done so, in the finals in Vietnam in 1998, with his work called Mr. Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country, which established him as a major figurative artist. He graduated from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991 and showed early promise when he won the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists competition in 1992 and the National Day Art Competition in Kuala Lumpur. He was awarded the Freeman Foundation Asian Artist fellowship for a two-month artist's residency at the Vermont Studio Centre in the United States in 2004. He held his solo exhibition To The Sea at Ernst and Young Gallery in Singapore in August 2012 under the Asia Outreach Programme. A member of the provocative F Klub, Kow Leong Kiang continues to create sensuous figurative images alongside his peers Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Shia Yih-Yiing, Marvin Chan, Chong Ai Lei, Gan Chin Lee and Chin Kong Yee with an exhibition titled Scent Of Bali upon returning from an inspirational trip to Bali in 2013. He also participated in the group show Art@Whiteaways, a special project exhibition in conjunction with the Georgetown Festival in Penang the same year.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Oct. 01, 2023
Kow Leong Kiang (b. 1970) Inner Line Series, 2004
Est: RM6,000 - RM10,000
Rendered with sensitivity, Kow Leong Kiang focuses on the outlines of the face imbued with a calm atmosphere. His drawings achieve a tranquil expression integrated with light strokes, giving a sense of life to the subject. The shadows of the facial features and garments are portrayed realistically. Kow Leong Kiang stamped his class when he won the highly coveted Grand Prize in the Philip Morris Asean Art Award, the only Malaysian to have done so, in the finals in Vietnam in 1998, with his work called Mr. Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country, which established him as a major figurative artist. He graduated from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991 and showed early promise when he won the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists competition in 1992 and the National Day Art Competition in Kuala Lumpur. He was awarded the Freeman Foundation Asian Artist fellowship for a two-month artist's residency at the Vermont Studio Centre in the United States in 2004. He held his solo exhibition To The Sea at Ernst and Young Gallery in Singapore in August 2012 under the Asia Outreach Programme. A member of the provocative F Klub, Kow Leong Kiang continues to create sensuous figurative images alongside his peers Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Shia Yih-Yiing, Marvin Chan, Chong Ai Lei, Gan Chin Lee and Chin Kong Yee with an exhibition titled Scent Of Bali upon returning from an inspirational trip to Bali in 2013. He also participated in the group show Art@Whiteaways, a special project exhibition in conjunction with the Georgetown Festival in Penang the same year.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Jun. 25, 2023
Kow Leong Kiang (b. 1970) To The Sea 19, 2016
Est: RM25,000 - RM32,000
Known for depicting romantic portrayal of figures immersed in local landscapes, this work contains the hallmark features of the artist, replete with a subtle yet elegant colour palette. Situated against an inspiring backdrop surrounded with gentle waves from the sea, the artist creates atmosphere effortlessly and captures the innocence of youth. Kow Leong Kiang stamped his class when he won the highly coveted Grand Prize in the Philip Morris Asean Art Award, the only Malaysian to have done so, in the finals in Vietnam in 1998, with his work called Mr. Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country, which established him as a major figurative artist. He graduated from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991 and showed early promise when he won the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists competition in 1992 and the National Day Art Competition in Kuala Lumpur. He was awarded the Freeman Foundation Asian Artist fellowship for a two-month artist's residency at the Vermont Studio Centre in the United States in 2004. He held his solo exhibition To The Sea at Ernst and Young Gallery in Singapore in August 2012 under the Asia Outreach Programme. A member of the F Klub, Kow Leong Kiang continues to create sensuous figurative images alongside his peers Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Shia Yih Yiing, Marvin Chan, Chong Ai Lei, Gan Chin Lee and Chin Kong Yee with an exhibition titled Scent of Bali upon returning from an inspirational trip to Bali in 2013. He also participated in the group show Art@Whiteaways, a special project exhibition in conjunction with the Georgetown Festival in Penang the same year.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Nov. 06, 2022
Kow Leong Kiang (b. Selangor, 1970) Innocence 2, 1999
Est: RM10,000 - RM16,000
Deriving from the Innocence series, this sublime illustration of a young girl is Kow Leong Kiang's depiction of purity. Rural girls of Malay descent are Kow's subject of interest portraying female values based on Malay culture â the ideals of modesty, innocence and naivety are ingrained from childhood. He opts for an earthy palette applied with gentle strokes to depict the child's vulnerability apparent in her gaze. Kow's skilfulness in portraiture and figurative drawings sets him apart from his contemporaries with his delicate strokes and rustic palette. Kow Leong Kiang stamped his class when he clinched Southeast Asia's most coveted prize, the Grand Prize of the Philip Morris Asean Art Awards, in the finals in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 1998, with his work, Mr. Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country. Other accolades include the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists (BMS) competition in 1992 and the Major Award in the National Day competition. His art residences include the Vermont Studio Centre, USA (2004) and the Tembi Contemporary in Yogyakarta, and he had featured in Art Busan, Art Formosa, Art Stage Singapore and Art Expo Malaysia. His painting of Mahsuri for the cover of Ooi Kok Chuen's novel, MAHSURI A Legend Reborn (2016), has been dubbed the Malaysian Mona Lisa. Kow graduated from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Nov. 06, 2022
Kow Leong Kiang (b. Selangor, 1970) Innocence 5, 1999
Est: RM10,000 - RM16,000
In this portrait of a young girl looking directly at the viewer, Kow Leong Kiang captures a breezy day suggested by her waving fringe, imbuing the work with a sense of immediacy. This work is executed with warm and harmonious tones in soft, natural day light. Kow has explored various nuances of figurative style drawings and paintings since the Innocence and Malay Girl series. Kow Leong Kiang stamped his class when he clinched Southeast Asia's most coveted prize, the Grand Prize of the Philip Morris Asean Art Awards, in the finals in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 1998, with his work, Mr. Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country. Other accolades include the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists (BMS) competition in 1992 and the Major Award in the National Day competition. His art residences include the Vermont Studio Centre, USA (2004) and the Tembi Contemporary in Yogyakarta, and he had featured in Art Busan, Art Formosa, Art Stage Singapore and Art Expo Malaysia. His painting of Mahsuri for the cover of Ooi Kok Chuen's novel, MAHSURI A Legend Reborn (2016), has been dubbed the Malaysian Mona Lisa. Kow graduated from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 27, 2022
Kow Leong Kiang (b. Selangor, 1970) Portrait, 2001
Est: RM8,000 - RM14,000
Known for depicting romantic portrayal of figures immersed in local landscapes, this work contains the hallmark features of the artist, replete with a subtle yet elegant colour palette. Situated against a muted yet rustic background, the artist creates atmosphere effortlessly and captures the innocence of youth. Kow Leong Kiang stamped his class when he won the highly coveted Grand Prize in the Philip Morris Asean Art Award, the only Malaysian to have done so, in the finals in Vietnam in 1998, with his work called Mr Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country, which established him as a major figurative artist. He graduated from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991 and showed early promise when he won the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists competition in 1992 and the National Day Art Competition in Kuala Lumpur. He was awarded the Freeman Foundation Asian Artist fellowship for a two-month artist’s residency at the Vermont Studio Centre in the United States in 2004. He held his solo exhibition To The Sea at Ernst and Young Gallery in Singapore in August 2012 under the Asia Outreach Programme. A member of the F Klub, Kow Leong Kiang continues to create sensuous figurative images alongside his peers Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Shia Yih Yiing, Marvin Chan, Chong Ai Lei, Gan Chin Lee and Chin Kong Yee with an exhibition titled Scent Of Bali upon returning from an inspirational trip to Bali in 2013. He also participated in the group show Art@Whiteaways, a special project exhibition in conjunction with the Georgetown Festival in Penang the same year. The ever-talented artist has explored various nuances of figurative style drawings and paintings including nudes from his Collisions series and recently his interest in examining the male figure.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Dec. 05, 2021
Kow Leong Kiang (b. Selangor, 1970) Double Face, 2006
Est: RM4,000 - RM7,000
Is the Malay kampung a time bubble preserving the natural and simple life reminiscent of the halcyon (Tan Sri) P. Ramlee days, and in what form? The kampung is oft thought to be a place of solace and rejuvenation, even self recalibration, for the urbanites weary of high living costs and social angst. To those inured to Kow Leong Kiang’s slew of young kampung girls in Kelantan and Terengganu done between 1999 and 2003, this curious portrait done in 2006 elicits a double take. There is still an aura of innocence about the two girls, probably sisters, but the faces look a bit rouged up, maybe it’s because of the relatively thicker pigment, and what looks like lipstick on their faces makes the girl look more matured. Has the Kampung Girl as extolled in Kow’s oeuvre undergone a change, shaped by trends or environment or are our eyes deceiving us because of the textural layers? The hair is neatly combed back and tied up, and the girls are not taken to wearing tudung (head scarf) yet, as is the stricture in the more conservative East Coast States. Kow Leong Kiang stamped his class when he clinched then Southeast Asia’s most coveted prize, the Grand Prize of the Philip Morris Asean Art Awards, in the finals in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 1998, with his work, Mr. Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country. Other accolades include the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists (BMS) competition in 1992 and the Major Award in the National Day competition. His art residences include the Vermont Studio Centre, USA (2004) and the Tembi Contemporary in Yogyakarta, and he had featured in Art Busan, Art Formosa, Art Stage Singapore and Art Expo Malaysia. His painting of Mahsuri for the cover of Ooi Kok Chuen’s novel, MAHSURI A Legend Reborn (2016), has been dubbed the Malaysian Mona Lisa. Kow graduated from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Dec. 05, 2021
Kow Leong Kiang (b. Selangor, 1970) Green, 2016
Est: RM36,000 - RM56,000
A pet artistic device of Kow Leong Kiang is to place a nubile Malay girl in the middle of an open rural landscape, the innocence and vulnerability of the girl blending with the unblemished natural environs. The girl, often in a kampung setting, is like a flower on the cusp of puberty, facing uncertainties of her future and life. Only this time, Kow uses a band of random colour code emblazoned around the bottom to identify the girl with, in this case, green. Green, purple, yellow, violet, peach, pink, coral or rose… one might be tempted to use symbolic colour cliches for labels or interpretations, but the colour choice is just a lark, a spur of the moment whim. Looking at the girl and her environ, would you agree that green epitomises the mood? The artist painted about five or six pieces of this colour brush strokes series in 2016, for exhibiting in foreign art fairs. Kow Leong Kiang stamped his class when he clinched then Southeast Asia’s most coveted prize, the Grand Prize of the Philip Morris Asean Art Awards, in the finals in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 1998, with his work, Mr. Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country. Other accolades include the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists (BMS) competition in 1992 and the Major Award in the National Day competition. His art residences include the Vermont Studio Centre, USA (2004) and the Tembi Contemporary in Yogyakarta, and he had featured in Art Busan, Art Formosa, Art Stage Singapore and Art Expo Malaysia. His painting of Mahsuri for the cover of Ooi Kok Chuen’s novel, MAHSURI A Legend Reborn (2016), has been dubbed the Malaysian Mona Lisa. Kow graduated from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Oct. 03, 2021
KOW LEONG KIANG : Study for a Portrait, 1999
Est: RM1,200 - RM2,500
Kow Leong Kiang has successfully established himself as one of Malaysia’s respected figurative painters in the last 15 years since he won the grand prize at the Philip Morris ASEAN Art Awards in 1998. Since then, he has been working relentlessly to spread his artwork in the country and abroad. His works have also made their way into some of the permanent collections of corporations, private collectors as well as the likes of the National Art Gallery of Malaysia. He is widely known for his portraits of East Coast Malaysian women’s beauty and his depictions of nostalgic rural scenes captured through masterful feather-light rendering. This work, entitled ‘Study for a Portrait, 1999’ is evident of such nostalgia-evoking beauty, displaying the artist’s oeuvre despite it being a study work. Leong Kiang employed charcoal on newsprint to further complete his desired aesthetic.
KLAS Art Auction
Aug. 22, 2021
Kow Leong Kiang (b. Selangor, 1970) Maiden, 2001
Est: RM8,000 - RM14,000
Kow Leong Kiang is well known for his depictions of market scenes, Malay girls, and beauties of the east coast. The sitter’s face is treated in relaxed strokes and in a candid manner. She looks charmingly spirited and have a positive aura surrounded even if she is not smiling. She has a very sharp look, feature that captures the heart of viewers. Kow Leong Kiang became the first and only Malaysian to have clinched Southeast Asia’s most prestigious award, the Grand Prize of the Philip Morris Asean Art Award, in the finals in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 1998, for his magnum opus, Mr. Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country. In 1992, he had won the Major Award in the National Day art competition, and the Minor Award in the Bakat Muda Sezaman, the centrestage of Malaysian young artists (under 30). Art residencies at the Vermont Studio Centre, USA (2004) and Tembi Contemporary in Yogyakarta further honed his skills, while selection for Art Busan, Art Formosa and Art Stage Singapore is proof of his growing regional stature. Educated at the Kuala Lumpur College of Art, graduating in 1991, Kow painted the cover of Ooi Kok Chuen’s novel, MAHSURI A Legend Reborn (2016).
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Aug. 15, 2021
KOW LEONG KIANG : Portrait Series, 2002
Est: RM30,000 - RM70,000
Kow Leong Kiang has successfully established himself as one of Malaysia’s respected figurative painters in the last 15 years since he won the grand prize at the Philip Morris ASEAN Art Awards in 1998. Since then, he has been working relentlessly to spread his artwork in the country and abroad. His works have also made their way into some of the permanent collections of corporations, private collectors as well as the likes of the National Art Gallery of Malaysia. He is widely known for his portraits of East Coast Malaysian women’s beauty and his depictions of nostalgic rural scenes captured through masterful feather-light rendering. He held his first solo exhibition in Singapore, To The Sea at Ernst and Young Gallery under The Asia Outreach Programme. Kow is also open to exploring subjects such as his attempt to use male figures instead. “Ideas come at any time and at any place because I’m always thinking of new ones all the time. Ideas and inspiration can come from many sources like films, magazines, books and TV. The trick is to just choose the right one and develop it further,” said Kow.
KLAS Art Auction
Mar. 21, 2021
Kow Leong Kiang (b. Selangor, 1970) One Hot Night In May, 2018
Est: RM45,000 - RM65,000
The air is fecund with excitement, hope and a gnawing misgiving. A strident red, awash with mellowly light yellow-orange tints pervades with a coy tenderness, gentleness. Such an extraordinary delicious blend achieved by the artist Kow Leong Kiang, best remembered as the Grand Asean Award winner of the Philip Morris regional contemporary art competition in 1998. In the light of a portentous, momentous night like no other night has ever been, in May, on the eve of the dramatic results of the 14th Malaysian general election in 2018 – a political game-changer in the country. There’s glorious hope as symbolised in the nubile lass in baju Melayu, looking askance in a demure coquette play, yet imbued with confidence to face the challenges ahead. The backdrop of lush vegetation and mountains is just as propitious. It’s as if everything is touched by the magical red glint. Seldom do you get a painting of a girl, with the beauty of innocence, in a kampung mileau transformed into a clarion call of a dawning of a New Malaysia. (Kow’s portrait studies of pre-adolescent Malay girls are legion, having scoured the kampung and beaches of Terengganu and Kelantan from 1999 to 2003, to capture the lyrical spirit of the kampung life as a cultural badge). Kow Leong Kiang became the first and only Malaysian to have clinched Southeast Asia’s most prestigious award, the Grand Prize of the Philip Morris Asean Art Award, in the finals in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 1998, for his magnum opus, Mr. Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country. In 1992, he had won the Major Award in the National Day art competition, and the Minor Award in the Bakat Muda Sezaman, the centrestage of Malaysian young artists (under 30). Art residencies at the Vermont Studio Centre, USA (2004) and Tembi Contemporary in Yogyakarta further honed his skills, while selection for Art Busan, Art Formosa and Art Stage Singapore is proof of his growing regional stature. Educated at the Kuala Lumpur College of Art, graduating in 1991, Kow painted the cover of Ooi Kok Chuen’s novel, MAHSURI A Legend Reborn (2016).
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 21, 2021
Kow Leong Kiang (b. Selangor, 1970) Boat, 2007
Est: RM16,000 - RM28,000
Known for depicting romantic portrayal of figures immersed in local landscapes, this work contains the hallmark features of the artist, replete with a subtle yet elegant colour palette. Situated against a vast green backdrop, the artist creates atmosphere effortlessly and captures the beauty and youth of a lady in a state of contemplation. Kow Leong Kiang stamped his class when he won the highly coveted Grand Prize in the Philip Morris Asean Art Award, the only Malaysian to have done so, in the finals in Vietnam in 1998, with his work called Mr. Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country, which established him as a major figurative artist. He graduated from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991 and showed early promise when he won the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists competition in 1992 and the National Day Art Competition in Kuala Lumpur. He was awarded the Freeman Foundation Asian Artist fellowship for a two-month artist’s residency at the Vermont Studio Centre in the United States in 2004. He held his solo exhibition To The Sea at Ernst and Young Gallery in Singapore in August 2012 under the Asia Outreach Programme. A member of the provocative F Klub, Kow Leong Kiang continues to create sensuous figurative images alongside his peers Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Shia Yih-Yiing, Marvin Chan, Chong Ai Lei, Gan Chin Lee and Chin Kong Yee with an exhibition titled Scent Of Bali upon returning from an inspirational trip to Bali in 2013. He also participated in the group show Art@Whiteaways, a special project exhibition in conjunction with the Georgetown Festival in Penang the same year. The ever-talented artist has explored various nuances of figurative style drawings and paintings including nudes from his Collisions series and most recently his interest in examining the male figure.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 15, 2020
Kow Leong Kiang (b. Selangor, 1970) Dreamer 4, 2004
Est: RM25,000 - RM40,000
When a girl is curled up in a foetal position, she wants to be left alone in her own cocoon of thoughts and safe space or she must have been too disturbed and traumatised by some deprivations or ill luck befalling closed ones. As this looks like a nubile young girl, she might be in love, or even out of love. The act of turning away, isolating, distancing and disengaging is as good as putting up a big sign saying, ‘Scram, Don’t Come Anywhere Near Me!’ Or probably, she is having a dream... The canvases of Kow Leong Kiang, who is known to have scoured the East Coast States to paint fetching portraits of kampung girls in his early years, goes beneath the skin and beyond innocence. The work was also inspired by his visits to Bali in his formative years when he marvelled over the accomplished nude paintings of the Indonesian masters. Kow Leong Kiang won Southeast Asia’s highly coveted art accolade when his work, Mr. Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country, clinched the Grand Philip Morris Asean Art Award in the finals in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 1998. He also won the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists competition in 1992 and the Major Award in the National Day competition. He had been selected for art residencies at the Vermont Studio Centre, USA 2004 and Tembi Contemporary in Yogyakarta besides participation in major events such as Art Busan, Art Formosa, Art Stage Singapore and Art Expo Malaysia. He was commissioned to paint the cover of Ooi Kok Chuen’s novel, MAHSURI A Legend Reborn (2016). He graduated from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Jun. 30, 2019
Kow Leong Kiang (b. 1970) Malayan Nights 1010, 2017
Est: RM23,000 - RM40,000
According to the exhibition catalogue, Kow Leong Kiang “portrays his image collection of Malay girl in order to convey various displays of emotions, which are inexplicable, fragile, disturbed, tempted, confused and sometimes absurd. Indirectly, these feelings reflect his thoughts on the local scenarios of his country as he demonstrates his current growth throughout his body of work.” Kow Leong Kiang received his Diploma in Fine Art in 1991 from Kuala Lumpur College of Art. In 1998, he won the Grand Prize in the Philip Morris ASEAN Art Awards. In 2004, he was a resident artist at Vermont Studio Center, USA. In 2008, he completed a residency with Valentine Willie Fine Art (VWFA) and Tembi Contemporary in Yogyakarta, Indonesia and has spent the last three years between Malaysia and Indonesia where he exhibited regularly. He participated in two artist residency programs initiated by Baik Art in 2013 and 2015, which took place at Seoul and Jeju Island, Korea and 18th Street Art Center, California, USA respectively. Among his solo exhibitions included Human at Red Mill Gallery, Vermont, USA and Floating World at VWFA KL (2003); Silent Conversation at VWFA KL (2005); Other People at VWFA KL (2007); Jogja Constellation at Tembi Contemporary, Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2009); Intimate Collisions at VWFA KL (2010); and Facescape Of Bali at Bazaar Art, Jakarta, Indonesia (2015). He has also participated in group exhibitions in Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Vietnam namely Continuities: Contemporary Art Of Malaysia At The Turn Of 21st Century held at Guangdong Museum of Art, China (2004); Tenggara: Contemporary Paintings from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines at the Novus Contemporary Urban Centre, Liverpool, UK (2008); Headlights at VWFA Singapore and Tanah Ayer: Malaysian Stories From The Land at Selasar Soenaryo, Bandung, Indonesia (2011). Kow has also been participating in international art fairs such as Art Stage Singapore, Art Taipei and Art Kaohsiung in Taiwan, Start Art Fair (held at Saatchi Gallery) in UK, and Art Busan in Korea. His beautiful wife Chong Ai Lei is also a figurative painter.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Jun. 30, 2019
Kow Leong Kiang (b. 1970) To The Sea 7, 2012
Est: RM40,000 - RM65,000
This work hails from a series, To The Sea, which was shown in Kow Leong Kiang’s eponymous solo at the Ernst & Young Singapore exhibition in 2012, his seventh solo. In a departure from his usual, the artist painted a full-body actioner as opposed to his usual half-body or face-only depictions; relished in the acrylic medium instead of the more luminescent oils; invested greater details in the nubile Malay girl model portrayed in both her clothes and the surroundings. Compared to her other works in the series, this one has a touch of melancholy and gelora (tension), with the frothy, foamy waves creating a poetic empathy to her innermost emotions. Here, he superbly captures the allure, innocence, alacrity and ordinary nature of the kampong girl finding solace by the sea. The series also represents a return to clothed modesty after an excursion into depicting large nudes shown in Intimate Collisions (Kuala Lumpur) and Soft (Yogyakarta, Indonesia) in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Kow Leong Kiang is a mid-career artist who extends the parameters of the figure in terms of representation, action and metaphor. He is best known as Malaysia’s only winner of the Grand Prize of the Philip Morris Asean Art Award in 1998, for his work, Mr. Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country. Kow’s other major accolades include the Minor Award in the 1992 Bakat Muda Sezaman; an award for student artists in the Savannah College (USA) international art competition (1993); and Major Award in the National Day Art Competition organised jointly by the National Art Gallery and Isetan (1991). A graduate of the Kuala Lumpur College of Art (1989-1991), he was chosen for a two-month Asian Freeman Foundation fellowship at Vermont Art Studio in the United States. He set an auction record of RM88,000 twice in The Edge auctions in June 2013 and March 2015.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 17, 2019
VICTOR AND KYALO - Kow Leong Kiang
Est: RM30,000 - RM40,000
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The Edge Auction
Oct. 28, 2018
KOW LEONG KIANG (b. 1970) Anggiy II, 2013
Est: RM5,200 - RM8,200
Kow Leong Kiang is well known for his depictions of market scenes, Malay girls, and beauties of the east coast. The sitter's face is treated in relaxed strokes, with a wide variety of subtle pinks and browns to build up the human form. Kow graduated from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art (founded by Cheah Yew Saik) in 1991. According to Cheah, he was one of the brightest students ever. He won the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artist competition in 1992, but it was his winning the Grand Prize of the Philip Morris Asean Art Awards in 1998, for his work, Mr. Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country, that entrenched him as a significant figurative artist. In 2004, Kow won a two-month Freeman Foundation fellowship for the popular Vermont Studio Centre residency. His painting commission was used as illustration for the cover of the movel (movie-novel) titled, Mahsuri: A Legend Reborn (Ooi Peeps Publishing, 2016), written by Ooi Kok Chuen.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Sep. 23, 2018
KOW LEONG KIANG: Transition, 2003
Est: RM60,000 - RM100,000
Kow Leong Kiang has successfully established himself as one of MalaysiaÕs respected figurative painters in the last 15 years since he won the grand prize at the Philip Morris ASEAN Art Awards in 1998. Since then, he has been working relentlessly to spread his artwork in the country and abroad. His works have also made their way into some of the permanent collections of corporations, private collectors as well as the likes of the National Art Gallery of Malaysia. He is widely known for his portraits of East Coast Malaysian womenÕs beauty and his depictions of nostalgic rural scenes captured through masterful feather-light rendering. He held his first solo exhibition in Singapore, To The Sea at Ernst and Young Gallery under The Asia Outreach Programme. Kow is also open to exploring subjects such as his attempt to use male figures instead. ÒIdeas come at any time and at any place because IÕm always thinking of new ones all the time. Ideas and inspiration can come from many sources like films, magazines, books and TV. The trick is to just choose the right one and develop it further,Ó said Kow.
KLAS Art Auction
Apr. 29, 2018
KOW LEONG KIANG (b. 1970) ANGGIY I, 2013, Acrylic on canvas
Est: RM5,000 - RM8,000
Kow Leong Kiang is well known for his depictions of market scenes, Malay girls, and beauties of the east coast. The sitter’s face is treated in relaxed strokes, with a wide variety of subtle pinks and browns to build up the human form. This piece was on display at the Scent Of Bali exhibition (a project involving The F Klub). Kow graduated from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art (founded by Cheah Yew Saik) in 1991. According to Cheah, he was one of the brightest students ever. He won the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artist competition in 1992, but it was his winning the Grand Prize of the Philip Morris Asean Art Awards in 1998, for his work, Mr. Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country, that entrenched him as a significant figurative artist. In 2004, Kow won a two-month Freeman Foundation fellowship for the popular Vermont Studio Centre residency. His painting commission was used as illustration for the cover of the movel (movie-novel) titled, Mahsuri: A Legend Reborn (Ooi Peeps Publishing, 2016), written by Ooi Kok Chuen.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Nov. 12, 2017
KOW LEONG KIANG (b. 1970) FACESCAPE OF BALI 12, 2015, Oil on canvas
Est: RM32,000 - RM45,000
A new ideal of the Balinese Girl, of modern times, must be found. Not like those with the portraiture classicism and cultural novelty circumscribed by the great Indonesian masters like Basuki Abdullah, Lee Man Fong and Trubus Sudarsono or through the foreign ‘lens’ of Adrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merpres, Willem Gerard Hofker, Rudolf Bonnet and Antonio Blanco. A face as a landscape of a place and as a metaphor of time and timeless. Not the dancers, heavily rouged up and looking matured beyond their years and where one can’t even tell the age. Kow Leong Kiang, with the seasoned brushes of having painted portraits of little nubile girls of the East Coast of Malaysia, has captured the Balinese Girl with “bare and powerful lyricism” (in the words of curator and fellow artist, Noor Mahnun Mohamed, in her article, ‘Floating World Revisited’), “to suggest a gentler way of living” and with “each painting suffused with a warm light.” With only a hairband ‘accessory’ for her ponytail, the Balinese Girl reveals a rustic innocence still unravaged by globalization and commercialization all around. At Bazaar Art Jakarta in 2015, he staged Facescape of Bali II with Sayang Artspace, Indonesia. Some more of his Balinese girls were shown in The FKlub’s Scent of Bali exhibition at G13 Gallery, Kelana Jaya, in 2013. In Sept 27-Oct 18, 2004, he had a dual exhibition with Lui Cheng Thak called Sojourn of Bali at the Townhouse Gallery, Kuala Lumpur.Kow Leong Kiang won South-east Asia’s highest art accolade with the Grand Prize of the Philip Morris Asean Art Awards in 1998, for his work, Mr Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country. On the national level, he won the Minor Award of the Young Contemporary Artist (Bakat Muda Sezaman) competition in 1992. He was also awarded a two-month Freeman Foundation fellowship in Vermont in 2004 apart from residences at Tembi Contemporary in Yogyakarta. Under G13 gallery, he had taken part in Art Busan (2016) and Art Formosa (June 30-July 2, 2017). His solos include Silent Conversation (VWFA, 2005), Other People (VWFA, 2007), Intimate Collisions (VWFA, 2010), Soft (Jogja Contemporary and Sangkring Art Space, 2011), Yogya Constellation (Tembi Contemporary, Yogyakarta, 2009), Floating World (VWFA, 2003), Human (Red Mill Gallery, Vermont, USA, 2003), Inner Line (Metro Fine Art, KL, 2004), To The Sea (Ernst & Young, Singapore, 2012) and Blue Sarong (Whiteways, Penang, 2013). He was commissioned for the cover of the movel (movie-novel) titled, Mahsuri: A Legend Reborn (Ooi Peeps Publishing, July 2016), written by Ooi Kok Chuen. Leong Kiang graduated from the now-defunct Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Nov. 12, 2017
KOW LEONG KIANG (b. 1970) MALAY GIRL SERIES, 2006, Oil on canvas
Est: RM4,500 - RM7,500
This is the same teary-eyed girl in the other 2006 picture in this auction, Tears III, or vice versa. Clad in the same white baju Melayu, she is ‘transplanted’ into a padi-field milieu this time, but looking straight at viewer as compared to the other picture’s with the profile facing right. There is a slight reddish glow in her face. Would a change of scenario between a seaside and a padi-field affect the degree of empathy? As both the crying pictures are in the open, there can be discerned a wistful melancholy about it. So get your handkerchief ready, girls!Kow Leong Kiang won Southeast Asia’s highest art accolade with the Grand Prize of the Philip Morris Asean Art Awards in 1998, for his work, Mr Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country. On the national level, he won the Minor Award of the Young Contemporary Artist (Bakat Muda Sezaman) competition in 1992. He was also awarded a two-month Freeman Foundation fellowship in Vermont in 2004 apart from residences at Tembi Contemporary in Yogyakarta. Under G13 gallery, he had taken part in Art Busan (2016) and Art Formosa (2017). His solos include Silent Conversation (VWFA, 2005), Other People (VWFA, 2007), Intimate Collisions (VWFA, 2010), Soft (Yoyja Contemporary and Sangkring Art Space, 2011), Yogya Constellation (Tembi Contemporary, Yogyakarta, 2009), Floating World (VWFA, 2003), Human (Red Mill Gallery, Vermont, USA, 2003), Inner Line (Metro Fine Art, KL, 2004), To The Sea (Ernst & Young, Singapore, 2012) and Blue Sarong (Whiteways, Penang, 2013). He was commissioned for the cover of the movel (movie-novel) titled, Mahsuri: A Legend Reborn (Ooi Peeps Publishing, July 2016), written by Ooi Kok Chuen. Leong Kiang graduated from the now-defunct Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Nov. 12, 2017
KOW LEONG KIANG (b. 1970) TEARS III, 2006, Oil on canvas
Est: RM4,500 - RM7,500
Kow Leong Kiang is known for his portrait studies of pre-adolescent girls in the kampung and beaches of Terengganu and Kelantan between 1999 to 2003. This latter work is filled with dollops of sentimentality as tears are shown welling out of the eyes of the girl in white baju Melayu amidst a whitish backdrop of water. Did she have a fall, is it impish tantrums or is she reflecting on something sad? She is too young to have a broken heart, maybe a broken toy. Crying ain’t that bad a thing. It can be cathartic. Meanwhile, listen to The Everly Brothers’ Crying In The Rain; Marianne Faithful’s As Tears Go By; Julie Covington’s Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina; and saddest of all, Eric Clapton’s Tears In Heaven, recalling the tragic death of his four-year-old son Conor. And do you know, as some say, that a mermaid has no tears?
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 05, 2017
FACESCAPE OF BALI 9
Est: RM28,000 - RM35,000
Painting with frame
The Edge Auction
Nov. 06, 2016
KOW LEONG KIANG (b. 1970) Untitled, 1996, Oil on canvas
Est: RM30,000 - RM50,000
The scene of women dominating the Siti Khatijah market in Kota Baru, as depicted by Kow Leong Kiang in this 1996 work, may be a thing of the past as the Islam-orientated PAS government, in power since 1990, imposed greater and tighter restrictions on the women populace. Next year, for example, Muslim women working in hypermarkets and fastfood outlets, must cover their aurat and wear long-sleeved uniforms. Kelantan women are known for their entrepreneurial spirit and diligence and the restrictions may force them to stay at home. Kelantan, when it was part of Siamese Patani in the early years, was ruled by a succession of four queens identified by colours – Green, Blue, Purple and Yellow – from the 16th Century (1548) to the mid-17th Century. But until then, Kow’s brilliantly crafted painting captures the thrust and rhythm of the Kota Baru market life. Kow, who spent a considerable period at this time in Kelantan and Terengganu, is known for capturing the rustic, innocent charms of the Kelantan damsels, young and old.Kow graduated from the now-defunct Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991 and proved his promise when he won the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artist competition in 1992, but it was his winning the Grand Prize of the Philip Morris Asean Art Awards in 1998, for his work, Mr Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country, that entrenched him as a significant figurative artist. In 2004, Kow won a two-month Freeman Foundation fellowship for the popular Vermont Studio Centre residency. His painting commission was used as illustration for the cover of the movel (movie-novel) titled, Mahsuri: A Legend Reborn (Ooi Peeps Publishing, July 2016), written by Ooi Kok Chuen.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Nov. 06, 2016
KOW LEONG KIANG (b. 1970) Mizell, 2010, Oil on linen
Est: RM25,000 - RM30,000
With eyes downcast and closed, the girl who is invariably Mizell strikes a melancholy mood with a miniature extract of a snow-capped Norwegian mountain in front of her lower face offering some therapeutic relief. Mizell was a university student Kow met in Yogyakarta when doing his artist's residency there in 2000.Kow graduated from the now-defunct Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991 and proved his promise when he won the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artist competition in 1992, but it was his winning the Grand Prize of the Philip Morris Asean Art Awards in 1998, for his work, Mr Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country, that entrenched him as a significant figurative artist. In 2004, Kow won a two-month Freeman Foundation fellowship for the popular Vermont Studio Centre residency. His painting commission was used as illustration for the cover of the movel (movie-novel) titled, Mahsuri: A Legend Reborn (Ooi Peeps Publishing, July 2016), written by Ooi Kok Chuen.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Apr. 17, 2016
KOW LEONG KIANG (b. 1970) Island, 2003, Oil on canvas
Est: RM10,000 - RM15,000
Illustrations of rural girls of Malay descent are Kow Leong Kiang’s primary subject of interest, portraying female values based on Malay culture - the ideals of modesty, innocence and naiveté ingrained from childhood. Deriving from the Innocence series, this painting is presented in two panels, executed in a rustic colour palette and raw brush strokes to display a distant nostalgic past. Kow Leong Kiang stamped won the highly coveted Grand Prize in the Philip Morris Asean Art Award (1998), the only Malaysian to have done so, with his work titled Mr Foreign Speculator, Stop Damaging Our Country, which established him as a major figurative artist. He graduated from the Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1991 and showed early promise when he won the Minor Award in the Young Contemporary Artists competition in 1992 and the National Day Art Competition in Kuala Lumpur. He was awarded the Freeman Foundation Asian Artist fellowship for a two-month artist’s residency at the Vermont Studio Centre in the United States in 2004. He held his solo exhibition To The Sea at Ernst & Young Gallery in Singapore in August 2012 under the Asia Outreach Programme. A member of the provocative F Klub, Kow Leong Kiang continued to create sensuous figurative images alongside his peers Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Shia Yih-Yiing, Marvin Chan, Chong Ai Lei, Gan Chin Lee and Chin Kong Yee with an exhibition titled Scent of Bali, upon returning from an inspirational trip to Bali in 2013. He also participated in the group show Art@Whiteaways, a special project exhibition in conjunction with the Georgetown Festival in Penang the same year. The ever-talented artist has explored various nuances of figurative style drawings and paintings including nudes from his Intimate Collisions series and most recently his interest in examining the male figure.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers