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This painting is very similar to Rising Sun I and Rising Sun II. It holds the common elements in the Terang Bulan series with its side borders and distinctive moon, a series where the artist had introduced 3 new elements in his body of work; the combination of oil and acrylic, the colour black in his palette, and achieving the translucent watercolour effect with the acrylic medium. Having grown up in Malacca as the eight generation of Baba Heritage lineage, Jolly Koh often refers to himself as a painter of landscape. He grew up as a romantic, reminiscent of his days in Malacca and listening to Terang Bulan as a child. In a breathtaking vertical composition, the artist paints an allegory in the moon as a unifying constant no matter where one is. In fact, judging by the fluid watery treatment of the oils, one may argue the painting could be presented upside-down as a reflection of the moon in a pond as evidenced by the koi fish streaming upwards, giving the Chinese clichéd theme a personal, modern interpretation.

It is part of the Terang Bulan Series officially shown in an exhibition at Shenn’s Fine Art in Singapore in 1996. Since his 1992 homecoming solo, Jolly Koh has been planning his relocation back to Malaysia after two decades down under.

Born in Singapore, Jolly Koh received his art education at National Diploma in Design, Hornsey College of Art, London in 1962; Art Teacher’s Certificate, London in 1963 and M.Sc. at Indiana University, USA in 1972. His works has been exhibited extensively around ASEAN region, Melbourne and London and are held in the collection of local and international museums, corporations, banks and hotels. Amongst them are J.D. Rockefeller III Collection, the National Art Gallery in Victoria, Australia, the Kasama Nichido Museum of Art, Bank Negara Malaysia and The Fullerton Hotel in Singapore.