Born 1932 in China, Cheong Laitong came to Malaysia in 1937. As one of the earliest contributors in Malaysian modern art, he alongside his contemporaries established themselves as the “avant-garde” artists in the KL art circle of the 1960s with inclinations towards abstract expressionism. In 1961, he was granted a scholarship to study at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine, USA before going on to further his art education at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London. A member and later President of the Wednesday Art Group, he is well known for having designed the large frontal mosaics of the National Museum in Kuala Lumpur. The 1960s also saw him join Rothman’s as its Creative Director, a post that he held from 1963 to 1992. He has won numerous awards including first prize at the Salon Malaysia in 1969 and 1979, and his work has been exhibited in Malaysia, India, UK, Canada, Japan.