Born in Malaysia in 1973, Tay Bak Chiang graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore in 1995 and furthered his studies at the China Academy of Fine Art in Hangzhou, China from 1997 to 1998. Since 1995, he has held solo exhibitions and participated in many group shows. Tay, an active member of the Siaw-Tao Chinese Seal Carving Calligraphy and Painting Society, one of Singapore’s most established art societies, was a recipient of the National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award in 2002. Belonging to an emerging generation of young Singapore ink artists who has developed a distinctive language in ink painting, Tay executes ‘In the Mood for Love’ with daring brushwork, unusual colours and a striking composition; simple geometric shapes represent lotus leaves and stems. This painting is part of the Lotus Pond series produced in 2009.
