Patrick Ng (also known as Ng Kah Onn; b. 1932, Malaysia; d. 1989, United Kingdom) is acclaimed for his innovative approach to both batik and oil painting, and his distinctive style. The subject matter of his works from the 1950s and 1960s is especially striking, setting him apart from many of his peers, in particular due to his ambiguous and suggestive celebrations of cosmopolitan difference and diversity.Penjara is one of several batik works by Patrick Ng which explore the nude form, and/or scenes of sexual and sensual intimacy, produced during his time with Wednesday Art Group. The work depicts two figures, notionally masculine and feminine, seated on a mattress. The bed appears to be bare, and to be placed directly on the floor; there are no other decorations or furnishings visible in the bare room, which is illuminated by a barred window, possibly inspiring the work’s cryptic title, which translates as “jail” or “prison”. Despite the sparseness of the scene, the artist has achieved a remarkable degree of tonal gradation in the piece, quite at odds with prevailing approaches to batik.
