Born in 1963 in Penang, Malaysia, Koh Teng Huat is a self-taught artist known for his skilled application of the impasto technique. Impasto is a technique in painting, where paint is laid on an area of surface very thickly, usually thick enough so that the brush or painting-knife strokes are visible. 

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As the Founder of Balik Pulau Art Society in Penang, Koh is one of the few Malaysian artists who paints with a palette knife. He finds that it creates a simpler composition and highlights the beauty of a painting. Captivated by the beauty of nature, his artworks are mainly themed with picturesque landscapes, inspired by his travels within Malaysia and also abroad including China, Indonesia, New Zealand and Europe.    

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Koh’s selected solo exhibitions include Nostalgia of Koh, Younie Gallery, Kuala Lumpur (2015), The Art of Palette Knife 2.0, Lion City Art Gallery, Singapore (2016) and Serene Impression, The Art Gallery, Penang (2019). In 2019, he received the Outstanding Achievement - Worldwide Excellence Award (WEA).

 

古天发于1963年在马来西亚槟城出生，是名自学成才的画家，并以其出色的刀画法而闻名。刀画法利用油画刀，将深厚的油彩重重地刷涂在画布上，清晰的笔触豪迈大胆、力道十足。

 

身为浮罗山背艺术协会的创办人的古天发，也是在马来西亚少见的刀画艺术家。。他认为，刀画法鲜明的笔触能营造出简洁的构图，反而更能凸显出图画的美感。对大自然的热爱，促使古天发的画作多以天然美景为主题，灵感多来源于他在本地以及国外（如中国、印尼、纽西兰、欧洲等）游历时沿途见识的万般风景。

古天发的精选个展有：古乡情，吉隆坡颜丽轩画廊（2015）、The Art of Palette Knife 2.0，新加坡狮城画廊（2016）以及印象 · 寂静， The Art Gallery，槟城（2019）。他更是于2019年荣获世杰国际控股集团所颁发的“世界名人榜 – 飞跃成就”奖项。