Man And His Young Bride Portrait by Chein Shyan Lee

Child marriage is still legal and actively practised in parts of South East Asia. Hoping to bring awareness to this issue, Vanessartpuff created Man And His Young Bride Portrait after Van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait. This artwork depicts a marriage bond between an elderly man and a young girl. The provenance of this situation is left unanswered, but we are given clues in the painting. A reflection in the background mirror shows her parents – the father holding a camera to document the occasion while the mother sobs. The bride’s dropped gaze looks on to this elderly stranger in submission, unaware of what is to come in the future. The bride wears an oversized dress, probably a hand-me-down from the elderly’s man’s previous bride.

Art Print Details:

Giclée Fine Art Print (SGD 300)

Limited edition of 100, hand-numbered, unframed
310gsm Textured Fine Art Paper (100% Cotton, Acid-Free, Archival)
42 x 59.4cm (A2)

Artist Bio:

Chein Shyan Lee, also known as Vanessartpuff on Instagram, is an illustrator, animator and maker. She was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur and studied Illustration in Birmingham. Currently, she works in a tiny studio that specialises in commercial illustration and animation, but in her free time, she is always creating new projects in search of her voice in the art industry. Her works are bright and colourful, sometimes described as out of whack. Besides illustrating, she loves to explore different art forms like 2D animation, lino printing, embroidery and sculpting.

@vanessartpuff