Solo in Penang

Pulau Besar, Mering -- Sunset 110 x140 cm,, acrylic on cavas, 2007

This morning, the lorry driver came to pick up 29 pieces of my paintings for my solo exhibition at A2 Gallery in Penang.

Now, my studio feels uncluttered, spacious...empty...a far cry from what it was just days ago when I was running around to meet deadlines for the exhibition!

People always say that it's easy being an artist, but they don't realise that there's a lot of work going on besides painting and "seeking inspiration."

Anyway, the exhibition will showcase pieces from my trips to Penang, Mersing, Perhentian island, and Redang island. The exhibition is kind of an expansion from the one I did early this year at Alliance Francaise. Besides works in oils and acrylic, I have also developed some paintings using pastels on paper. They are sketches developed from my studies of some Penang landscapes at Gurney Drive where I stayed.

The exhibition, "Lights on the Water," will be at A2 Gallery in Bangkok Lane, Penang, from 1-20 May.

If anyone happens to be in Penang during that time, you are welcomed to view my works at the gallery. I will be going up there myself for the launch on Labour Day.

Art talk at Starhill Gallery

On 29 March, I participated in an event organised by Artseni Gallery at Starhill Gallery to promote art appreciation to the public. The event was just one in a series of many on the issue which gallery owner, Philip Wong, wanted very much to highlight.

He was interviewed in the papers recently:

ART gallery owner and artist Phillip Wong believes that what people believe about art and how they perceive it changes over time, and art appreciation is not as daunting as it may seem.

“Art is for everyone,” declared the 40-year-old who will be conducting a fortnightly art talk show on How Art Relates To People where he will share his knowledge on how to buy and sell art, how to appreciate good works of art and on how to conserve them.

The talk is open to everyone - from people who are new and who would like to learn to appreciate art, to art lovers, collectors and artists. It's an opportunity to learn and get better exposure, while keeping up with the global art industry,” he said.

For details or to register for the talk, contact 03-2144 0782 or pw@artseni.com.

The event started off with a screening of my NTV7 interview by The Breakfast Show. It was followed by the talk conducted in a Q&A format by Philip Wong. At one point, Philip presented a slide show of my works.

The crowd was intimate and I was able to present my thoughts about my painting and works. When it comes to my work, I guess I just want people to know that I paint because I truly enjoy the act of painting rather than highlight social issues in my works. Yet, in a way, the choice of my subject matter, the landscapes, is a statement of protest in itself -- that I want to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city and the ugly side of man.

When people come to me and ask me how to appreciate my works, I just encourage them to lose themselves in the colours and the feelings of the paintings. Some things don't have to be over-analysed.