Two Extremes

Tay Poi San
b  1953, Malaysia
Third-Generation Nanyang Ink Painter

Tay Poi San is an esteemed Malaysian artist renowned for his mastery of Nanyang-style ink painting. Born in 1953, he represents the third generation of creative ink painters working within this distinctive Southeast Asian art movement. Since the 1980s, Tay has pursued a path that honors traditional Chinese brushwork while embracing contemporary visual language.

His artistic practice is rooted in the expressive techniques of the Nanyang school, yet it reaches beyond convention to explore the evolving potential of ink as a medium. Tay’s paintings often reflect an intimate interplay of memory, landscape, and cultural symbolism — evoking serene, dreamlike worlds where the past and present converge.

Over the years, his works have gained increasing international recognition. In 2021, he was ranked among the top 500 artists globally at the Global Ink Painting Exhibition in Hong Kong. He participated in the International Ink Painting Exhibition in Shenzhen in 2022, and in 2023, his works were featured at the London Art Biennale in both the United States and the United Kingdom. In May 2025, he held his first solo European exhibition in Paris, France.

Tay Poi San continues to be a vital voice in contemporary ink art, exemplifying the spirit of tradition in dialogue with innovation.