PROVENANCE:
Former collection of Fong Leng, the Chinese-Dutch fashion designer (acquired in 1974)
Private collection, Amsterdam

Fong Leng is a female Chinese-Dutch designer. Her full name is Carla Maria Fong Leng Tsang, where Tsang is her Chinese surname. Fong Leng was born in Rotterdam in 1937. She often uses silk as the main material in her designs, and draws from Chinese motifs, such as panthers totems, injecting elaborate styles and drama into her works. She is most well-known for her collaboration with Dutch socialite Mathilde Willink. In 1984, Fong Leng also designed masstige jeans and clothes for Levi’s. Her works are collected by many Dutch museums. Fong Leng came to own Walasse Ting's “Lady with Parrots” in 1974. It was one of the artist’s early creations in his famous “lady” series. Its florid and exotic sentiment is close to Fong Leng’s tastes as a designer.