Julie is an inspiration from the “Matisse and Picasso” exhibition in Paris which Tan Tong visited in 2002. The character in the painting was inspired by Manet’s Olympia. Tan Tong also inserted Picasso’s cubist Nu couché au lit bleu and Matisse’s Odalisque paper cut-out elements into it.

The artwork is composed of three sections. The upper part shows human being’s pursuit of eternal peace and happiness. The middle part shows the iconic Louvre triangular structure and writing in French: “Reversed of Julie. My Pretty, I Love You.” The bottom part is Picasso’s quote: “You have got to be able to picture side by side everything Matisse and I were doing at that time. No one has ever looked at Matisse’s painting more carefully than I; and no one has looked at mine more carefully than he.” Enlarging the out-reaching legs and spreading fingers represent excitement and jubilation, reflecting a woman’s reservation and authentic feelings towards love and sex, a reversal of Matisse’s composure. This form of human figure was later developed into the Yang Guifei series.

Tan Tong was born in Selangor in 1942. He graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris, supported by a government scholarship in 1975. Upon returning, he became an art educator for 25 years. After retiring in his 60s, he delved further into research and art creation, and created his most important and iconic series. Tan Tong’s creative inspiration was rooted in China and France. He firmly believed in his principles and intuition while his spirituality and uniqueness are reflected in his works – unique, straightforward, rigorous and perfect. Tan Tong passed away in 2013. He always said, “It’s too painful to be an artist!” because he walked a lonely road. But with his love for art, he became the embodiment of a hero striding boldly on his path and gloriously. His insistence and prudence towards his art practice, has become a model for our nation’s art world!

This artwork Shyness retains the gentle, bright, soft and delicate characteristic of Shoushan stone. The young lady’s outer jacket falls to her legs, partially revealing her body, which she tries to cover up in shyness. It depicts a woman’s beauty that outshines the moon and puts the flowers to shame, while displaying a little silent fortitude. Motherly love is spiritual. Being a woman and mother, Huang Lijuan imbued all of her gentleness into this piece of stone, in order to transform it into a work with truth, good and beauty.

Huang Lijuan was born in 1958 in Fujian Province, China. She began studying under the tutelage of Shoushan stone-carving master, Lin Fei at the age of 14. In 1978, she entered Fujian Arts and Design School (currently known as Academy of Arts and Design, Fuzhou University) to further study carving and sculpture. She is now one of the few female national level carving masters.

Being a woman, creating art with Shoushan stone is a tough and challenging task starting from choosing and purchasing suitable stones, transporting them, as well as the development of concepts and working for the final production. Yet, her rigorous attitude towards art and her natural instincts of love as a woman and mother are integrated into her artistic creations. She often used stone materials rejected by others. By integrating modern designs with traditional techniques, she carves out a unique style which retains her original characteristics in depicting a woman’s tenderness and beauty, as well as the pureness and kindness of a child. Huang’s works, such as the sculpture of an African female head, model of tribal minorities and children with silly expressions are all vivid and outstanding in personality.

In Di Lifeng’s art, the oriental lady in “Mirror” appears elegant and enchanting, her silver adornment and the Qing Dynasty dress are exquisitely detailed. The lady expresses an insecure and sombre gaze. This beautiful portrayal of an oriental lady shows the artist’s admiration for the past. Youth is defenceless against the passing of time. The subject and emotions are framed in a silent moment in history, becoming an eternal memory.

Di Lifeng was born in Liaoning Province, China in 1958. He graduated from Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1990. His exquisite portraits, set in artistic and deliberate ambience, invite viewers to reminisce on the beauty and glory of the past. What has China’s cultural transition from old to new brought to the people? Prosperity and modernisation? Or diminishing traditions? The painting gives an illusion of crisscrossing of space and time, stirring one’s imagination and speculation, creating an extraordinary appeal.

The women in his paintings are often gentle and graceful, which remind one of the quote “Last night the west wind shrivelled the green trees. Alone I climb the high tower for a full view of the roads leading to the horizon.” His paintings of “realism” are not “imitations of reality” but rather “surrealism” which allow viewers to understand the person’s spirituality and sense of existence. That’s the reason why his paintings are impactful and highly appreciated.

Confident Girl has strong graphic embellishments. This is due to his prior experience as a graphic designer and his interest in Matisse. The vibrant colours and powerful strokes transcend the mundane, as if the painter has built his own simplistic world using simple colourful shapes. It’s simple, why should life be complicated? The lines carved with a palette knife further enhance the simple yet interesting style. The girl’s confidence has synergised with the painter’s simple and neat strokes.

Bob Yan is a contemporary young oil painting artist with a unique style. He was born in 1970 in Beijing, China, and graduated from Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts. He has a passion for living and he advocates simplicity in depicting life. His artistic theme revolves around objects that are regularly overlooked by others, which is indicative of the innocence and inquisitive nature of a child. He is determined to observe with his own eyes every single detail in daily life in order to discover the meaning and beauty of life. Bob Yan’s artistic brilliance stems from his inner self, and the charm of his work lies in his passion and love for simple things in life. Through his work, we can feel concisely love, thus adding warmth and purity to the world.

The beautiful woman in front of a lotus folding screen shows some influences from Japanese Ukiyo-e art and the clothing of apsaras found in Dunhuang caves. Her figure is fair and beautiful, dignified and healthy, rich in form and content, and also exhibits the gracefulness of the ladies in the contemporary era. Her facial features are depicted vividly, especially her eyes and lips, representing the artist’s ideals of feminine beauty. This masterpiece depicts the transformation of the artist’s style from classical to the contemporary. Zhang’s paintings of beautiful women are extremely detailed.

Zhang Daqian was born in 1899 to a family of scholars in Sichuan Province, China. His original name was “Zhengquan” but changed it to “yuan” later in life. Known as “Daqian”, he is one of the most famous Chinese ink painting artists of the 20th century. Also known as one of the legendary artists, his works are renowned internationally, especially his splash-ink Chinese ink paintings, where he fused layers of colours and ink to create a new artistic style.

Zhang visited Japan in 1917 to research on the Japanese Ukiyo-e techniques. In 1941, he spent 2 years and 7 months in Dunhuang copying the murals in the caves painted during different dynasties such as Wei, Zhou, Sui, Tang, The Five dynasties, Song, Xia and Yuan. All this laid a crucial foundation for his portraiture. Yu Feian (1889-1959, Fine Chinese modern painting artist), a renowned artist once said: “Of the portraits by Daqian, his paintings of women are particularly praised in the field for his boldness and creativity.” Zhang’s keen observation of women led him to produce detailed artworks of women.

The Song of Herd fully exemplifies the artist’s intent to idealise reality. He dramatises a common and simple scene of a girl working in nature, affecting viewers with his ideal world. He incorporates the classical and aesthetic perspective of painting in his pursuit of the beauty of nature, without exaggerating the expressions of the human figure. His art emphasises the natural world and captures the realities of life.

The landscape in the background, the shepherd and the sheep have rigorous shapes, which allow the painting to exude a sense of peacefulness and tranquillity as found in classical oil paintings. At the same time, the vividness of the scenery is well-retained. The colours are no longer the main elements of the painting; the artist has fused light and shadow in a way that includes the viewers into the painting. The artist is able to find a good balance between aestheticism and idealism.

Wang Xin was born in 1957 in Beijing, China. He graduated from China Central Academy of Fine Arts. He is expert in painting portraits and landscapes, especially in combining both elements to emphasise the beauty beyond real life. He focuses on pursuing the perfect form and artistic skills of idealism and aestheticism, resulting in a classical academic style of art.

Sanjiang Dong Girl was created by the artist after visiting the Dong and Yao Minorities in Guangxi during the spring of 1988. The painting depicts Dong girls wearing their handmade tribal costume “Dongbu” sewed mainly in green, blue, and purple, together with pleated skirts and tied-up pants. When getting ready for work at tea plantations, they wear a chignon and cover it, put on silver accessories, gather the necessary equipment and bring along their children. In this artwork, the young girl is neither the typical light-footed and dexterous one nor the plump and round type. Rather, she is strong, muscular, healthy and bright, which is the true image of those who work hard throughout the year.

Pan Shixun was born in 1934 to a Manchurian family in Jilin Province, China. He graduated from China Central Academy of Fine Arts, majoring in oil painting. In 1984, he was chosen by the Ministry of Culture to further his studies in École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris. He travelled across Europe for 17 months, learned western oil painting techniques, the use of various painting materials and found himself most interested in modern paintings and realism. After returning to China, he worked as a professor of the oil painting school and the head of painting studio at China Central Academy of Fine Arts.

Pan Shixun is excellent at depicting figures from the Tibetan Plateau and minority tribes as he loves the gorgeous scenery of highlands and the diversity of highland people. Living among the people in the mountain, farmland or meadow, he would frequently meet attractive faces, see interesting costumes, and profound gazes. Among these ordinary men and women, their natural, unpolluted and beautiful souls are all recorded on his canvas.

Kanak’s mother was a famous sewing artist. However, Weaving Cloth is not just a reproduction of a scene. It was during her journey back home in 1989 that she discovered that the happiness enjoyed by rural people in their simplistic and colourful life was fading away. The vibrant colourful clothes and silverware have already been replaced by industrial products, diminishing the unique and diversified traditions. Thus, her work combines disappointment and hopeful wishes. She uses the power of art to spread the awareness about the beauty of life that the minorities once enjoyed, capturing and preserving their life and culture on canvas. Through art, she evokes the appreciation of culture that they used to have and the inherent humanity that exists in people living close to nature.

Kanak Chanpa Chakma was born in 1963, in Rangamati, Bangladesh. She graduated from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1986, and furthered her studies at Pennsylvania Park State University in 1993. From there, she went on to become an active and world famous full-time artist.

She stayed in rural areas when she was young, helping with agriculture and weaving works. Thus, her work is inclined towards a style that combines the realistic and abstract, gaining popularity by depicting the lives of minority. The female figure is an important theme in her works, although males appear occasionally. Her emphasis on females is quite obvious, as she deeply feels that females living in rural areas have low social standing despite the fact that their contributions to their families’ well-being often surpass that of men’s.

Kanak’s art depicts her dream for the equality of men and women, the diversity in culture and sustainable development and also the balance of nature preservation and economic development.

Mother and Son is a sculpture of a seated mother holding an infant. The two snuggled together, with the mother’s head leaning forward close to the child’s, giving the expression of innocence and selfless affection. Exaggerated techniques of deformation are applied to show aesthetic sentiments. The concept of harmonising and balancing the two opposites of “big and small”, guides the viewers to look for the “small” child at the centre, and subsequently to the direction of the “big” mother.

Regardless of elaborate and realistic details, she imaginatively carved out the limbs and body of a woman on a white stone, smooth without corners, and portrayed a mother’s image using simple curves and contours. She employs the traditional Chinese aesthetics of freestyle drawing in creating three-dimensional sculptures. Nowadays, such minimalist beauty is being pursued by people living in “high pressure” society. This simplified image of harmony becomes the power which could alleviate pain and discomfort as well as the image of a harmonious society.

Mother and Son shows the informal nature of a mother’s love. From the artist’s view, the foundation of one’s belief comes only from the support of mothers to their children. It exudes rich feelings of love and tolerance, which are the people’s eternally cherished desires and the way to understand humanity.

Harvest is Zhu Qingtang’s longan wood three-dimensional carving of a standing mother and son. Dressed in traditional Tibetan dress, the mother removes her jacket exposing her breasts for her child to latch onto her nipple. The mother gazes at her child in her arms, showing a serene, quiet and amiable facial expression. This shows a very primitive and simple life scene. In this elongated standing sculpture, the mother exhibits her confidence and the power with which she supports her family and children. Indulging in motherly love, viewers reminisce of the warm sunlight, vast grassland, hope and peace.

Barley is a kind of grain that grows in the alpine region, with about 3,500 years of planting history on the Tibetan Plateau, and is the main diet of the Tibetan people, thus forming a barley culture rich in ethnic characteristics. The harvest of barley has become a favourite subject in literature, poetry, film, painting and art. Barley harvesting under the beautiful Tibetan sun has shown the blooming smiles on the mother’s face which is the joy of love and also the joy of harvesting.

Zhu Qingtang was born in 1953 in Jiangsu Province, China. She is a Chinese contemporary sculptor. She graduated from the sculpture department of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts. Her artworks charmingly portray the beauty and love of the subjects through various techniques, revealing the creativity within her. She had a preference for expressing the touching, amiable and respectable side of motherly love in her artwork.

Sun • Mother is a large artwork which was exhibited in Li Zijian’s second touring exhibition, Malaysia Series, to Malaysia in 2001, and it appears on the cover page of the art catalogue, Humanity and Love, Li Zijian World Tour Exhibition. This artwork illustrates the strong living culture of Malay ethnic group and gives the message: Without mothers’ contribution, sacrifices and unconditional love, will this world still be warm and filled with sunlight?

Through this piece of artwork, the artist hinted that love is at the core of World Order, the driving force of human spirit, the power of reproduction, as well as the creation and the bridge of harmonious relationships.

Li Zijian is a famous US-based artist who was born in 1954 in the Hunan Province, China. He graduated from the oil painting department of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in 1982 and then migrated to Los Angeles, United Stated in 1988. From 1993 to 2001, under the theme “Humanity and Love”, his exhibition travelled globally, covering more than 30 countries, and brought about resonance among the society.

He excels at portraying human figures in real life; the paintings are filled with warm feelings for his wife and daughter, stubborn old man, loving and strong mother, helpless tramp and victims of the tragic Nanjing massacre. He presents the visual appearances rigorously with deep and touching theme. He expresses the common feeling of all humankind by using a western art medium in a way that is compatible with Chinese cultural characteristics, resulting in works that transcend countries and cultures. He has gained the attention and struck a responsive chord with numerous people all over the world.

Nuwa Mends the Heavens is based on an ancient Chinese myth. It is said that the God of water, Gonggong waged war with the God of Fire, Zhurong and caused the heaven and earth to collapse, resulting in floods, fire storms and left many people homeless.

As a woman and mother, Zhu’s unique sensitivity and sentimentality shaped the Goddess Nuwa’s kind-hearted image. She did not depict her clothing but focused on portraying the contours of a female body. With leaves representing nature and simple lines showing her tranquillity, softness, mellowness and elegance, this glorious work radiates with the warmth of humanity. Mimicking the form of portrait bricks of Han dynasty, the eyes and hair of the goddess are vividly carved, depicting a sense of wholeness of the artwork. This work also emanates with reverence towards gods and represents human instincts and innate ability as well as eternal love.

Zhu Qingtang, a female contemporary sculptor, was born at Jiangsu Province, China in 1953. She graduated from the sculpture course of China Central Academy of Arts. She creates artworks under the theme of motherly love and tenderness of human heart using different materials and techniques. Her preference for expressing motherly love within human beings, thus brings out her outstanding creativity in sculpting field.

This artwork depicts Hua Mulan, a legendary female warrior originating from Chinese classics who took her father’s place in the army. On the upper half of the artwork is the famous epic written in the Xingshu (Running) script during China’s Northern and Southern Dynasties, The Ballad of Mulan. This epic centres upon Mulan, who disguises herself as a man in order to substitute her father in the army. She later achieves great merits in the battlefield, but, instead of accepting official promotions, she requested to be reunited with her family. This story recounts the virtues of bravery and kindness and the devotion and courage in protecting one’s homeland. The lower half of the artwork vividly depicts the heroic posture of Hua Mulan riding a fine black horse galloping across the grassland.

Chen Yanning was born in 1945 in Guangdong Province, China. He graduated from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in 1965. He then further studied in USA in 1986, and graduated from College of Fine Arts, University of Oklahoma in 1988. In 1991, he won an award for his portrait painting in a competition organised by Society for All Artists (SAA, Britain) and later became a portrait painter for the royalties and noblemen.

Chen is an all-rounder. He paints mainly portraits in oil and also Chinese ink paintings and comic strips. He is equipped with various techniques for creating realistic compositions and a keen eye on human beings, thus he is able to extract impressive artistic forms from the human figures. His artwork exudes an atmosphere that transcends national boundaries, whether his subjects originate from his homeland, China, or from the West, where he lives. While he insists on the humanistic values in Chinese tradition, he incorporates Western romanticism and realism into his artworks.

Venus is the Roman goddess of love and beauty that oversees fertility and protects sailors. Arman dissected the exterior of Venus, which is made of bronze, into 4 parts, and regrouped them with another sculpture of Venus in crystal, throwing a new light onto ancient sculpture and increasing the aesthetic value of the artwork.

Arman felt that no matter how wonderful and glorious history may be, it would be devoured and covered by the present times. Breaking open the bronze exterior and revealing the crystal sculpture from within exemplifies the creativity and spirituality of human civilisation, making Venus the witness of the past, present and future. At the same time, it contains a message: All forms will vanish through time. Only love and spirit will remain for eternity.

Naissance is Arman’s last work in crystal and it bears great artistic and historical value.

Arman was the epitome of contemporary sculpture. He was born in Nice, France in 1928 and passed away in New York in 2005. He played an important role in the art history of the 20th century, primarily with his contribution to Pop art from 1960 to 1970 which helped to connect Europe and America. He was good at dissecting and regrouping modern consumables, daily life objects and then redefined the meaning and form of these objects, demonstrating the integration of tradition and arts.

His work induces viewers to think and discover new meaning and potential within something common. His boldness and creativity made him the leader of his time and a significant influence of Modern Realism.

“Meeting King Wen” is a traditional Chaozhou gold-lacquer wood carving. Adapting the structure of “Z”, it depicts Emperor Zhou cordially inviting Jiang Tai Gong to assist him in governing. The emperor, in search of the wise Jiang Tai Gong, has travelled from afar. Although the emperor’s request seems to have imposed on Jiang’s remote life whilst he was fishing casually, yet Jiang remains calm and sensible. The artwork also depicts the army with their expressive facial expressions, and the backdrop with enhanced layering effects. It fully portrays the special characteristics of Chaozhou wood carving. This artwork won the Gold Medal for Traditional Art in the 4th Chinese (National Grade) Arts and Crafts Master Exhibition.

Li Denong won the Gold medal for his Crab’s Basket in the 3rd International Chinese Arts and Craft Master Exhibition. He presents his structure in an “S” shape, maintaining the traditional way of Chaozhou wood carving style whereby the middle of the block is made hollow and tied with a variety of strings in various thickness. The life-like crabs and lobsters create a stark contrast between high and low density, a distinction between motion and quietness, and the difference of rigidness and softness.

Li Denong, born in 1949 in Guangdong Province, China, is a provincial master in arts and crafts. He has been acknowledged as an inheritor of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage for Gold Lacquer Wood Carving. He has promoted the wood carving tradition with a modern twist by infusing contemporary living and aesthetics in his works. By combining the traditional with the contemporary, his works exude with a strong sense of modernity.

The Red Lanterns was a collective work of a group of unknown artists during the Cultural Revolution in China. Formed in the 19th Century, the Red Lanterns was a women’s fighting group similar to the “Boxer Rebellion” with the slogan “Support Qing government and exterminate the foreigners.” They were dressed in red and carried red lanterns, thus was called the Red Lanterns.

The top of the sculpture depicts the leader holding a flag, leading young women bravely in the battleground, fighting to protect the country. Although the movement ended in failure, and many Red Lanterns lost their lives, they displayed the bravery in breaking age-old constraints and limitations of tradition which women had long suffered under.

The verse is an extract from Mao Ze Dong’s poem Qin Yuan Spring. Through the poem one could feel the author’s passion and love for his country, and his strong ambition as a revolutionist. This is indeed a classical creation in the history of poems in China.

The artwork was created with colourful Furong stone. Following the innate colours of the stone to express the magnificent views of mountains and rivers, this piece of work symbolises the treasures we must cherish and protect in order to create a more glorious and brilliant future.

Chen Lizhong was born in 1968 in Fujian Province, China. He is a master of Chinese arts and craft. He is also recognised as an inheritor of the Intangible Cultural Heritage for ShouShan Carving and had learnt the art under the tutelage of Master Fung Jiu He. He cherishes the natural beauty of stones. Being sharp-eyed, he is able to capture the beauty and uniqueness of the stones he works with and has the ability to add life to the stones.

This work describes the scene of three brave female heroines scaling the Jiajin Mountain without any mountaineering equipment. On the top of the mountain, they strive to withstand the roaring wind and snow. The expression of the young warriors and their horses show their fighting spirit to fight against their destiny while the flying red ribbon symbolise the steadfast and fearless human spirit.

Crossing the Snow Mountains is a work which portrays the bravery and indomitable spirit of the Red Army during the Cultural Revolution when they crossed the snow mountains during the period from 1934 to 1936. The long journey in the cold weather covering approximately 25,000 miles pushed the Chinese militia to their physical limit.

Tunnel Warfare shows the setting of tunnel warfare during the Sino-Japanese War. The Chinese army and militia utilised the tunnels to fight against intruding Japanese army. The tunnels formed a network which connects households and villages, perfect for hide out and ambush against the enemy. The sculptor skilfully used the colours of Gaoshan stone to accentuate the militias. The scene however, is not shrouded with the violence and terror of war, instead, it shows the vibrant and unremitting effort of the common people in improving themselves and protecting their homeland.

Lin Fashu was born in 1929 in Fujian Province, China. He is a master of arts and craft in China. The shape of his stone figures were inspired by the figurative style in Chinese ink painting with particular emphasis on the character’s appearance, feature and expression as well as the sensation of their clothes fluttering in the wind.

Sunrise is a stone carving which is the result of the collaboration between Wang Yangquan and his son, Wang Xi. They carved the forms of mythical creatures such as Chinese dragon, phoenix and lizard-dragon out of the stone. The work has moveable rings attached with each lizard-dragon. The movement of the creatures gliding around the heaven-sent clouds connotes auspicious meanings like “The Rising of the sun” and the “Westward Transmission of Buddhism”.

Wang Yanquan was born in 1938 in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China. He is a craftsman and Chinese carving artist who studied at Fujian Arts and Crafts School and specialises in the seal-top Shoushan stone carving and the art of hollow carving.

Wu Kaitao spent more than one year’s work to complete the work Three hundred Tang Poems which consists of around ten thousand miniature Chinese characters in running script. Wu did a comprehensive research on “Zhangjiashan Han Bamboo Text” in order to validate the typeface of every single character. In spite of carving on a small stone of a few square inches, the characters remain apparent and as vivid as a fine calligraphic work.

Wu Kaitao was born in 1943 in Minhou County, China. Miniature carving is the art of carving miniature letters or painting on small items. It is the smallest art creation in traditional Chinese arts and crafts.

Daum’s creative team spent two years in creating Chevaux Ailes, a masterpiece on display at Stanislas Square, in conjunction with the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Square.

The Square was built by Stanislas in the 16th century. Nancy was made up of two towns, namely the old town from Medieval era, and the new town from the Renaissance era. Stanislas commissioned architect Erice Cole to systematically connect them as one. The massive project took more than three and half years and was completed in 1755. Since then the Square has connected the two towns and become the masterpiece of the joint effort between the royalty and the people.

Chevaux Ailes is produced by employing the “lost wax casting technique” as a representation of the important stone sculpture of 18th–century architecture. Six different materials were used in creating Chevaux Ailes to enhance its unique features. The element of bronze is the epitome of the whole, emulating respect for the city and its glory.

The creative path of Claude’s art is unique. Her compositions are always filled with strong personal expressions, deviating from the main stream. Her sculptures, be it bronze, crystal or marble, are always instilled with her unique passion. The crystal sculpture Victoire expresses the human spirit transcending material desires, achieving victory and greatness.

Claude Cehes is a famous French female contemporary sculptor. Born in 1949 in Algeria, she graduated from the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts and now lives in Paris.

Hyperrational Desire is a masterpiece crystallised by Dali’s creativity, modern physics, scientific research and Freud’s psychoanalysis theory. Dali created an opening at the abdomen of Venus. He removed the blue-glazed glass symbolising eternal beauty in the abdomen and golden head from the perfect body of Venus, placing it quietly on a rack in order to provoke the visitors’ thoughts on gravitational forces and decomposability of objects.

Salvador Dali was the grandmaster of Surrealism in the 20th century. He was also a sculptor, designer and writer at the same time. Born in Eastern Spain, a small town named Figueres, young Salvador was already showing an advanced and revolutionary artistic spirit during his art studies in Madrid and Barcelona in 1904. His artworks transmute objects that revolve around dreams, imagination and subconscious themes, creating surreal scenes and objects.

Olivier Brice boldly gives another presentation to Discus Thrower by using crystal. The crystal sculpture transforms the tough marble into mystical emotion as fluid as water, expressing his praise for the beauty of human body and the life-force it embodies, revealing the art of body-sculpting and the passage of youth.

Brice is a contemporary French sculptor. Throwing discus was a celebrated subject for sculptors in ancient Greek and Roman era. The famous ancient Greek sculpture Discus Thrower shows a strong man throwing a discus in his most expressive moment. The statue is considered “an action immortalised.” Today it is still considered the best symbol in sports.

Wuyi Lane is one of the representative works of the Tang Dynasty poet Liu Yuxi. This is the second piece of the nostalgic poem entitled Five Jinling Title, which mourns the desolate and lonely state of Zhuque Bridge on Qinhuai River and Wuyi Lane located on its south bank. Both were once prosperous during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Now overgrown with weeds, they make one feel desolate, melancholy and remind one of the inevitable changes in life.

“Beside the Zhuque Bridge wild flowers thickly grow,

Along the Wuyi Lane the sun is setting low.

Where once the swallows knew the mansions of the great,

They now to humbler homes would fly to nest and mate.”

Here, Cui Zifan expresses his strong, vivid and artistic conception of life via the simple and straightforward thick-ink brushwork technique.

Cui Zifan was born in 1915 in Shandong Province, China. He was a renowned contemporary Chinese flower and bird artist. His artworks often revolve around realism and tend to appeal to all people.

After the Qingming Festival is one of Lin’s two poems describing his memory of an old friend during a Qingming festival.

“Qingming festival has come to an end, yet the flower of willow trees fall all the same. Winds drifting into the garden, and spring ends like descending curtains. A lonely fire chases down tears from an old friend, while a deviant son grieves in front of the graves. The moon resembles a bow on a windy hill, illuminating the robe of the travellers.”

His brushstrokes and lines are imbued with a unique aesthetic meaning.

Lin Sanzhi was born in 1898 in Jiangpu, Jiangsu Province, China. In 1972, he sprang into fame during the China-Japan calligraphy exchange. His calligraphic work entitled The Sino-Japanese Friendship Poem was celebrated as “The first cursive of Lin Sanzhi.” Together with Zhao Puchu and Qi Gong, they were widely known as “the three contemporary excellencies” of poetry, calligraphy and painting. His cursive scripts are known as the “San” cursive.

Huang Zhou’s human figures in his coloured ink paintings are different from traditional Chinese painting in that his figures are sketchy and the lines are rough. He also paid attention to the forms and attempted to breathe life into his figures. Harvest Celebration depicts a scene of people celebrating a bumper harvest and their return with abundant produce. The girls exude with liveliness and vitality, and the joy of harvest shines on their faces. This is a change from the usual images of elegant women in traditional Chinese paintings.

Huang Zhou was born in 1925, in Hebei Province, China. He was a master in Chinese painting, social activist and art collector. Huang followed the principle that “the only source of creation is life itself” in his path as an artist. He advocated living, sketching and creating as his ideal for art creation.

The creek, bush, cottages, and bare-footed villagers in Along the River are all memories very dear to her. When we observe closely, we will notice that the artist has put in a lot of effort to carefully depict the scene. The trees and wells do not resemble reality while kids and adults were fishing and foraging. Within the ink painting is an apparent message: “Although we lack material goods, we are free from the distress of competition.”

Nie Ou was born in 1948 in Liaoning Province, China. She is an outstanding female ink painting artist. During the Cultural Revolution, she was forced to labour in a small village in Shanxi, thence her experiences in the rural village become the main subject for her artworks. She always tries to express her inheritance of traditional culture and her yearning for a simple life through her meticulous observation of life and vigorous brush strokes.

Cheng Shifa’s portraits focus primarily on the interaction between human beings and animals. The two young girls in The Girls and a Goat are beautiful and have a focused and fond expression. The goat is traditionally an auspicious image for the Chinese people. The artist used a simple yet exaggerated style to illustrate his impression of a goat, creating warmth, and adding a hint of joy and auspiciousness into the artwork besides vividly expressing the theme.

Cheng Shifa was born in 1924 in Songjiang of Shanghai, China. He learned Chinese calligraphy in his childhood, and he had a deep interest in local folk art. He entered Shanghai Academy of Chinese Painting in the 1950s and concentrated on innovating Chinese painting. His artworks are exquisitely vivid, lyrical and romantic.

Huang Yongyu’s art has always been in a minimalistic style, coupled with witty and philosophical words which inspire curiosity. He believes that a good drawing should be concise and contain only what is necessary. This is all reflected in Reading.

Huang Yongyu was born in 1924 in Changde, Hunan Province, China. He stopped his secondary education to work as a painter and sculptor for a livelihood. Huang learned arts and literature by himself. His designs of stamps with Chinese Zodiac and wine packaging are well-known. Profound knowledge, persistent attitude, wise interpersonal skills and tireless effort in practising art has enriched his life as a poor kid.

Yang Shanshen emphasised travelling and sketching. The Hanzhong Basin was a product of his revisiting the Sichuan basin in 1999. His ideas were fresh and original, his strokes masterful, bold and elegant.

Yang Shanshen was born in Taishan, Guangdong Province, China, and emigrated to Hong Kong in 1930. He founded the Chunfeng Art Association in 1970 to promote the art of Lingnan school with pupils from all over the world.

Wu Guanzhong was known for depicting the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan in his work. He employed primary colours, vividly translating the harmony, rhythm and poetic presence of the Chinese culture in his work.

Wu Guanzhong was born in Yixing, Jiangsu Province, China in 1919. He was a renowned contemporary artist and art educator. He advocated the contemporary style of Chinese ink painting which blended the natural and colourful style of European oil painting and the traditional Chinese artistic philosophy and aesthetic standard. He was criticised and labelled as a “rebel artist” during his time.

In front the Creek features a novel style by its harmonious and elegant tone with a flat composition and unrestrained brushwork. The hills, houses and flowing water are coalesced into a pleasant image, fusing the vitality of the simple folk’s life with traditional humanistic spirit.

Yang Yanwen was born in 1939 in Hebei Province, China. Despite being trained as a professional oil painter, he was later highly acclaimed for his Chinese ink painting.

Liu Haisu learned to paint in oils and Chinese ink in his early age and later on devoted himself to splash-ink painting. Whether in oils or Chinese ink, his art reveals his personal charisma. His Eagle depicts a style of boldness and sturdiness. The left of the image shows an oblique old pine tree with winding and withered vines. An eagle stands staunchly on a trunk, as though it is looking for preys and is about to take off. The framework of the eagle was drawn with dense ink technique and its feathers are dotted to bring forth a three-dimensional effect. To enhance the eagle’s expression, its beak and eyes are drawn with dry-ink technique. The old pine provides an effective backdrop for the eagle, outlining a solid, energetic and powerful character.

Liu Haisu was born in 1896 in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. He was a master of Chinese ink painting, oil painter, calligrapher, as well as an art educator and art historian. He was also one of the pioneers of the new fine arts movement in China. In 1912, he founded the first art school in modern China together with Wu Shiguang and Zhang Yuguang. It is the first school in China where male and female students studied in the same school, employed human models and carried out outdoor sketching classes. In addition, it emphasises the training of art techniques and art theories.

Women, especially indigenous women, are the major subject of Jiang Caiping. In The Sisters of the Taiwan Paiwan Tribe, the bright-eyed sisters were dressed like princesses or queens. To reveal the authenticity of the subject, the artist deliberately excludes decorative elements. The artist’s search for truth, good and beauty is manifested in the poetic life of the commoners and through the humanistic values in her art.

Jiang Caiping was born in 1934 in Kaifeng, Henan Province, China. She graduated from the Department of Chinese Painting, Beijing Central Academy of Fine Arts, in 1958. Jiang is an innovative fine-brushwork painter, an educator and activist for fine-brushwork painting and a pigment scientist. She has made great contribution in reviving the genre of fine-brushwork painting and in its development in the contemporary art scene.

The Apple Trees series was created by Xu through years of research and study on the subject. Xu was inspired by the great vitality of wild apple trees which do not receive any human care and have undergone snows and storms. With a poetic heart, Xu paints vigorously to create colourful rhythms.

Autumn Glory is an expression of dancing with joy under warm sunlight. The artist utilised complementary colours such as yellow and purple to create a contrast that gives a feeling as if we are sketching right there at the place and this has successfully elucidated the glory and beauty of an autumn season.

Xu Zhiguang was born in 1973. He is one of the younger and capable contemporary oil painters in China. The artist has inherited the persistence and simplicity of the Qilu people and these personality attributes have found their way into his artistic creations.

Wen’s artwork does not tell stories about leisure in the environment, but of exalting the infinite power of nature that strives for survival. Golden Coast has strong persistence in its presentation, solid in form, and symbolically tenacious. Dignified textures, magnificent strokes – it all shows how seasoned the artist is. It reflects the depth of his thoughts and aspiration in his pursuit of art. This artwork exemplifies Wen’s inclination towards the representation of serene exaltation and solemnity of life itself, besides the artistic appeal of the artist and his unique personality.

Wen Lipeng was born in 1931, the son of a famous patriotic poet, Wen Yiduo. His birth was deeply intertwined with the then revolutionary era. In 1946, Yiduo was assassinated in Kunming. Lipeng, 15 years old at that time, strongly felt the grief and pain and understood the beauty and despicability, love and hatred of humanity. His experience in life, coupled with the tumultuous era of that time manifests in his artworks as a form of Heroism, a form that pursues sublimity, strength, passion and solemnity. It becomes a unique and refreshing style in modern Chinese oil painting.

Bob Yan perseveres in observing the details of lives in ordinary events with his own eyes, digging into the meaning and beauty of life. A man wearing a robe and a dog in A Wonderful Morning is a portrayal of his life and his close relationship with animals. He used rich colours and powerful strokes coupled with an optimistic mind to express the authenticity of life and its close relation to us.

Bob Yan was born in 1970 and graduated from Beijing Central Academy of Fine Arts and also holds a master’s degree. He focuses on small things in life as his subjects, such as dogs, cats, and the life of commoners. Through these subjects, his works are filled with child-like innocence and surprises.

In Spring Lotus, Ma Changli sought to create an artwork rich in lyrical artistic expression with elegant and harmonious colours, derived from the colour characteristics of European Impressionism and at the same time harmonised with oriental aesthetic expression. Like tones in music, the colours of water and lotus in the pond change with the sunlight, depict a soothing mood and harmonious relationship between the objects in the painting.

Ma Changli was born in Shanhaiguan, Hebei Province, China in 1931. After graduating from Beijing Central Academy of Fine Arts, he dedicated his life to education for almost 40 years. For decades, Ma has been visiting the country’s mountains and valleys to patiently create his masterpieces without pursuing fame. He is popularly known as the “Poet of Colours and Songs.” Ma is adept at using colours to depict nature and express his creativity. His paintings are like a soothing song, full of poetic beauty and reflect his optimistic views about life, belief and passion.

Reminiscing in Autumn is based on Chen’s imagination of Impressionism that uses an array of colours. He inclines to Fauvism, amplifying the simplicity of lines and exaggeration of perspective. Just as what Gauguin said: “How do we see those trees? They are yellow in colour, then let’s paint them yellow! Its shadow is quite blue, let’s paint it pure deep blue! How about the red leaves? Let’s use ruby red.” To Chen, painting is no longer mere culmination of drawing techniques, but a manifestation of his own inherent spirituality.

Chen Junde was born in Zhejiang Province, China in 1937. Graduating from Shanghai Theatre Academy in 1960, he took Lin Fengmian, Liu Haisu, Yan Wenran, Guan Liang as his mentors. He started painting in realism but discarded traditional ideas later on, and embarked on new trends and styles akin to Modernism. Starting from the 80s, he devoted himself in pursuing a new spirit for oriental arts. This new spirit is not merely a combination or composition of eastern and western styles, but one created through a thorough understanding of local cultures and international art. From the reproduction of images to the representation of his imagination coupled with a composition of abstract elements, he merges himself with his subjects, reaching a state that goes back to basics.

In 2000, Wang Shaolun obtained a scholarship from St. Petersburg Repin Academy of Arts, furthering his studies there for a year. Autumn in Suzdal is one of the artworks produced during his research at that time. During a landscape drawing session, he encountered the Skinhead Gang and nearly lost his life. Fortunately, a young Russian girl helped him to escape this mishap. This incident causes his artworks to reflect a sense of appreciation towards life amidst simplicity. In 2003, the Chinese government sent him to Moscow to further his practice in art, forming a leaping stone in his career as an artist.

Wang Shaolun was born in Shandong Province, China in 1968. His parents and family members are all farmers. Growing up in a poor family, he went from normal agricultural secondary education to central college, further embarking on international education, solely relying on his unwavering dream and strength.

Li Mu’s landscape paintings are not only about natural landscapes, but also cultural landscapes as he finds the formation and culmination of cultures in natural settings. In “Weekends in Paris”, he tried to view Paris from a new perspective. His theme, drawing techniques and colours have an obvious reflective and innovative exploration. The skilful touch of his brushes and accented colours amplify his personal language of art.

Born in Tianjin, China, 1958, Li Mu graduated from Beijing Central Academy of Arts and Design (currently known as Tsing Hua University Academy of Arts and Design). He started his pursuit of modern art in Paris in 1996.

Chen Wen Hsi put the most emphasis on the modernity of art creation and the need for artists to develop their own styles. His traditional ink paintings are simple and elegant. In Squirrels on the Branches, the dynamic state of the two playful squirrels was portrayed. The furry detail was achieved by scrubbing a dispersed brush on half-dried ink, to represent the fluffy texture of the squirrel’s fur. The squirrels’ eyes and claws were outlined in a way that makes them vivid and alive, portraying the simplicity and forthrightness of the artist’s life.

Chen Wen Hsi was the most influential contemporary artists in Southeast Asia and also one of the pioneers of Singaporean modern artists. Chen was born in 1906 in Guangdong Province, China and graduated from Shanghai Xinhua Art College. He emigrated to Singapore in 1948, during the civil war in China. In 1975, Chen was the first local artist to be inaugurated with an honorary doctorate from National University of Singapore for his great contribution to Singapore art scene.

Battling with the Sea was created during his sketching field trip in Kelantan, Malaysia. The artist depicted the intense atmosphere of fishermen battling a storm and high waves by applying contrasting colours and light effects as well as employing powerful brushstrokes and composition found in artworks done during the French Romanticism movement. The image exudes enthusiasm, reflects the reality of life-and-death battles for survival and inspires hope by revealing a glimpse of light in the distance.

Koeh Sia Yong was born in 1938 and graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1958. After graduation, he became an amateur artist while drawing cartoons for books. Most of his early works depict the daily scenes of poor people in Singapore. With changes in the society, his subjects gradually changed from the scenes of the rural and the poor to the urban in Chinatown. Besides painting in Singapore and Malaysia, he now travels to Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan and even Europe to create art.

Yellow Mountain depicts elegance, simplicity and leisure. Liu Kang emphasises the essence of the subject and artistic conception, as in Chinese art philosophy, while integrating powerful strokes to create a majestic and bold impression.

Liu Kang was born in 1911, in Yongchun, Fujian Province, China, and emigrated to Singapore in 1942. Liu was one of the pioneer Singapore artists and also a pioneer of the Nanyang art style. He has made great contribution to the development of Singapore’s art scene. His research on traditional Chinese arts and culture, oil painting techniques learned from Europe and his keen observation of the equatorial lifestyle in Nanyang deeply affected him. These became the source of inspiration which manifested distinctively in his style.

Contentment is an artwork by Malaysian senior artist and art educator Tan Chiang Kiong which combines ink painting and watercolour skills. The artwork depicts an atmosphere where hundreds of flowers are blooming vibrantly, signifying the arrival of spring. The artist utilises colours such as bright pink, yellow and green to create a joyous ambience in Mother nature and the vitality of life, allowing people to feel happiness, courage, hope, and contentment in life.

Flowers are Tan Chiang Kiong’s common artistic subject. His lyrical flowers are often presented in a combination of an abstract and realistic way to arouse the imagination of the viewers. The flowers in his paintings do not exist in the real world, but are abstract flowers in his mind. As the artist once said, “whether realistic or abstraction, the source of the paintings is nature and life.”

Tan Chiang Kiong was born in 1932 in Penang. In 1957, he went to Taiwan and studied art at National Taiwan Normal University. He returned to Malaysia in 1961 and started teaching art at Chung Ling Private High School from 1964 till now. In the course of his artistic career, he accepted the education and training of traditional and modern artistic concepts from both the East and the West. That’s why he specialises in watercolours, acrylics, oils and other mediums, and is able to create rich styles by using techniques such as splashing, drip-dropping and rubbing. He courageously experiments with new methods in his creative endeavour and develops new styles out of the existing ones. He has established a symbolic style that manifests the spirit of the Oriental using western painting methods.

The Kiss is an artwork in which Syed Thajudeen used his romantic and unique techniques to paint a charming, delicate young lady and a school of fish roaming in a space transcending reality. This beautiful scenery depicts them dancing together and kissing, and yet, the appearance of the young lady did not disturb the school of fish at all. Through elements including figures, flowers and fish, the artist composes a beautiful harmonious world of coexistence, expressing the feelings of coexistence of human beings with nature in a warm loving atmosphere. The artist is deeply inspired by Hindu mythology and thus paints the young lady’s skin in a dark blue colour, which represents “love.”

Syed Thajudeen was born in 1943 in India and later migrated to Penang along with his family. In 1974 at the Madras College of Arts and Crafts in India (currently known as the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Madras), he completed his 6-year post diploma in fine arts. After returning to Malaysia, he worked as a fine art lecturer for two years at the Institute of Technology MARA (currently known as Universiti Teknologi MARA).

Syed Thajudeen deeply appreciates the Indian cultural tradition as well as our country’s diverse culture, his works are all aiming at showing the multiculturalism, local history and the literary theme of our country. His unique stylised figures in art represent his imagination which was inspired when he was studying overseas in India, by the exquisite sculptures found in temples in the ancient city of Madurai. The romantic and vibrant style of his art is inspired by the murals found in Ajanta caves and now, the beautiful features of these cultural heritages are wonderfully integrated into his artworks.

Wet Land is a watercolour artwork created by Negeri Sembilan senior artist, Sia Boon Chuan. For the past 50 years, Sia has been painting and sketching every day. He has persisted in his unique style of sketching even at the age of over 80. In addition to his frequent sketching trips, he would also record what he sees and hears as references. Through an eye for aesthetics, he often simplifies the complex landscape and utilises colour schemes and composition to create a unique realistic landscape.

This artwork is an excellent example as it has a simple composition and uses only bright colours to differentiate the sky and the paddy field. Sia utilises the permeability and transparency of watercolours to create another mystical sight in the waters. He sketches his inner world and paints Wet Land impressionistically, enabling viewers to feel the refreshing, longing and touching moment.

Sia Boon Chuan was born in 1936 in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. In 1963, he graduated from National Taiwan Normal University, under the guidance of Prof Ma Pai-Sui, a Taiwanese contemporary master of watercolours. Upon returning to Malaysia, he began to teach art at SMK Chung Hua, Port Dickson and at the same time worked in advertising designs in Seremban. But his artistic passion led him to establish the Negeri Sembilan Arts Society with his friends in the art circle. He was once the president of the Negeri Sembilan Arts Society and the Contemporary Malaysian Watercolorists Association. Currently, he is the advisor of both organisations.

Hijauan Buat Sementara, or “A Momentary Greenness” in English, is an acrylic artwork of abstraction created by renowned local artist Mohd Yusoff Osman to remind people to start paying attention to the natural environment and the importance of sustainable development. Through his creative experience and the development of his artistic approach, he found out that this form of abstract expression is the most conducive way to express his exclamations: “Show concern for the environment” and “be responsible for the environment.” The artist once said, “Reality is seen by the retina, abstraction is perceived by the mind.” Yusoff’s artistic pursuit has always sought to express the eternity of the essence of life and its spirituality, rather than the transient phenomena seen on the surface.

The artist’s long-term observation, reading and researching on the environment, especially on wetlands became the motivation and source of creation. He was inspired by the concept of “Satoyama,” a traditional farming lifestyle in Japan when creating this artwork. In Japan, “Sato” means a village and “Yama” means the surrounding mountains and fields. Living in this area between mountains and arable land, the people would carry out agricultural activities without sacrificing or destroying nature, enabling the coexistence of both humankind and nature to happen. The artist thereby reminds and suggests that our society should maintain and develop its economy in accordance with nature. “Satoyama” is a lifestyle that shows people and nature can live in harmony, and also an important element to create harmony in the universe and ensuring the sustainable development of the environment. All Yusoff’s artworks in the Wetland Dry Series strongly bring out the message of preserving nature.

Yusoff Osman was born in 1950 in Endau, Johor, and later grew up in Penang. He has been active in Penang art scene since his studying in secondary school. From 1974 to 1978, he was involved in various artistic events in an art collective named “Anak Alam” (Children of the Nature). Besides painting, he has worked for 27 companies locally and overseas, as an author, set designer, art director and producer, where he accumulated more than 40 years of experience in artistic creation. Currently, he is a full-time artist who continues to paint with a dedication “to create artworks that are meaningful to the society.”

Nature is a long horizontal scroll painting created by Negeri Sembilan senior artist Loke King Loong. Both its composition and tone permeate the tropical scenery of the Nanyang region. Its subject is a fishing village in Kemasik, Terengganu, where Loke was travelling with his newly-wed wife. He was amazed by the beautiful scenery and later created this artwork to record his journey.

At the bottom left of the artwork is a poem written by the artist:
“Things in the past are like moving clouds and flowing waters, and worldly affairs are like passing winds that do not leave a mark. However, I yearn to become a fisherman among the mist, enjoying the happiness of fishing on the stone. The coconut trees sway along with the gentle sea breezes, while the fishermen are self-sufficient and untroubled by worldly affairs. This colourful and beautiful scenery is paradise. This artwork brings out the artist’s pursuit of harmony between humans and the environment, as well as his passion for painting.”

In 1957, Loke received a scholarship to study art at National Taiwan Normal University and received the tutelage of several well-known professors such as Huang Chun-pi and Lin Yu-shan. He specialised in landscapes, as well as flowers and birds. In 1962, Loke founded the Negeri Sembilan Art Society with some fellow artists and served as its president for 20 years. He actively advocates artistic exchanges and art education for the public and has contributed greatly to the state’s development of arts and culture. In addition, having taught Tunku Ampuan Durah, the Queen of the state of Negeri Sembilan ink painting for more than 20 years, he was bestowed with the title “Royal Court Painter.”

Companion is an ink painting created by Negeri Sembilan senior artist Lim Peng Fei, when he was in his latter days.

After graduating from National Taiwan Normal University, Lim dedicated his life to art education. The famous quote, “Head bowed, like a willing ox, I serve the children” by the great Chinese writer Lu Xun, propagated the idea of selfless contribution, voluntarily serving others and fostering younger generations. This is the theme of this artwork, and also Lim’s attitude when it came to education. This art piece, depicting a child riding backwards on a cow in the opposite direction of each other, implies that educators and children may have differences as they are born in a different era and have differing views. Yet, a joyous atmosphere in the artwork shows that these differences do not affect the harmony and exchanges between them. Lim Peng Fei had dedicated his whole life to education and had numerous students. This artwork reflects his genuine experience and realisation towards education, and will encourage the coming generations.

Although the artist suffered from Parkinson’s disease in his latter years, this work embodies his free play and without seeking the formal or conventions, expresses his creativity with the most spontaneous habit and direct sensibility. Therefore, this picture adds a kind of unpretentious, pure and childlike interest.

Lim Peng Fei was born in 1934 in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. In 1959, he studied art at National Taiwan Normal University. There, he received guidance from well-known masters such as Lin Yu-shan on Chinese ink, flowers and birds, Huang Chun-pi on landscapes and Liao Chi-chun on western painting styles, together with his artistic attainments, he succeeded in establishing his avant-garde style. He was able to hold an unprecedented solo exhibition at the National Museum of History, Taipei, upon his graduation in 1963. He returned to his homeland after graduating and taught in his alma mater SJK (C) Chi Hwa and later became the art teacher at Chan Wa High School. He advocated practising what one preaches, teaching students at their aptitude level and without favouritism.

Yellow is always associated with good health and passion in the study of colour. Yellow Blossom featuring blossoming yellow flowers scattering over the mountains is filled with great passion and a joyful atmosphere. It also gives a sense of excitement to its viewers. The artist once said, “The light and colours of yellow and blue in the painting are simply like embracing each other, cohering and gleaming, resonating within our hearts, lyrically illustrating the beautiful rhythm of the flowers and trees.”

What has driven the artist’s inspiration was an unknown field of lush yellow flowers on the mountains, discovered on his way to Cameron Highlands. The artist meticulously recreated the layers, structure and texture of flowers. The contrasting colours of golden yellows and blue violets were presented in a harmonised way while revealing a sense of tension. This painting not only presented the objects and sceneries seen by the eyes, but more importantly, expressed the emotion and feelings from the heart of its creator. It is a work derived from the integration and composition of the real world and human emotions.

Cheung Pooi Yip (1936-2019) was born in 1936 in Georgetown, Penang. He was born poor and had to drop out of school in the fourth grade to make ends meet. Even though he didn’t receive a proper art education, he learned everything by himself, diligently and tirelessly improved his skills, equipped with great love and a deep passion for art. He associated himself with artists such as Cheah Yew Saik and Khoo Sui Hoe who had graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. They were both mentors and friends to him. He humbly sought advice from seniors and friends, exchanged ideas and sought breakthroughs. He enriched his life experience through reading diligently and travelled around the world to observe and emulate famous artworks displayed in art museums, and strived to establish his unique style.

During his 60 years of creative career, he created a large number of artworks. He has been awarded the Certificate of Honour and Recognition, Kedah and Appreciation Award “Salut 55” from National Art Gallery. Cheung passed away on August 11, 2019. He painted a colourful rainbow for his 84 years of artistic life.

She paints herself in this Garden in Taman Seputeh, portraying a typical morning routine of a housewife. Her garden is her Eden, a sanctuary minded with countless years of loving and managing. In this blossoming season, dangling Heliconias, white Clematis, Clerodendrums, and Balsams are all flourishing under the delicate care of the caretaker. Viewers are drawn into this artwork by the colours of the garden which vibrancy stimulates one’s sense of sight and even the sense of smell. This is the artist’s deep love for nature as well as the beauty of her cultural lineage that has influenced her deeply.

Sylvia Lee Goh was born in 1940 in a Baba-Nyonya family in Penang. With her passion for culture and art, she self-taught herself to become one of the prominent local female artists of the late 80s.

Sylvia’s art subjects revolve mainly around three areas: still-life, landscape and portraiture. Inspired by her cultural and education background, together with her sensitivity and intellect, she depicts her perspective of life, family and friends in fine details, the diminishing yet beautiful Nyonya culture, her beautiful garden and her sharp observation of the changes in society and times. From observing daily life, she creates works with intricate content, passionate emotions and ambience. They evoke in viewers a sense of admiration and appreciation.

In 2003, at the invitation of Heinrich Böll Foundation, Choong Kam Kow attended seminars cum exhibitions entitled “Identities versus Globalisation?” in Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Germany representing Malaysia. During the seminar cum exhibition tour, he created a work entitled Identities Co-exist with Globalisation and in the same year produced a sister painting of Co-Existence to portray, in a more concise way, the importance of traditional culture in modern globalisation.

Co-existence depicts two girls sitting back-to-back in contrast to a background of traditional Chinese Almanac. These girls represent the traditional and implicitness of the Orient, as well as the modern and unabashed aesthetics of the West. They are not exclusive and do not produce any confrontation. The artist made an incisive response towards the present issue of globalisation: Traditionality and modernity, national identity and globalisation can co-exist in harmony.

Choong Kam Kow was born in 1934 in Ipoh, Perak. He graduated in 1961 from the fine arts department of National Taiwan Normal University and obtained his Master in Fine Arts from Pratt Institute, New York, USA in 1968. In 2006, he was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Arts by the Robert Gordon University.

Nanyang Scenery is a product of two separate creations combined into one, forming an interesting painting with effects of fusion and echo. The clouds in the air also resemble water bodies on the ground, while the large and small rocks echo to each other, the red flowers growing from the rocks, the crakes singing in chorus. With oriental expressions, Cheah’s works evoke creative imagination for an analogy of a beautiful life.

Cheah Thien Soong was born in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia in 1942. He later graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore in 1962, majoring in oil painting. He later studied ink painting from artists Chen Wen Hsi, Chen Chong Swee and See Hiang Tuo, developed a technique that combines the cultures of the East and West and a fusion of ideologies. Nurturing a passion for tropical ambience, he created a new Southeast Asian style of painting.

Khalil Ibrahim is well-known for his memorable images of colourful folks living in the fishing villages in the East Coast which he gives a form that is fluid and elegant, intermingling in a balanced blend of lines and shapes. They are also portrayed as working, chatting and walking together. The scenes are then set against flat stark backgrounds of blues, purples and greens, enhancing the message that beauty can be easily found within our simple, peaceful and mundane life. This artwork “Untitled” can be considered a brave attempt of the artist at expressing his passion for living and a new sense of freedom. The cold and warm colours make for a strong contrast, with an undeniable focus on the womenfolk who exude with an anticipation of a brave new tomorrow.

Born in 1934 in Kubang Krian, Kelantan, Malaysia. Khalil Ibrahim is one of the few Malaysians who received a state scholarship to study art at the prestigious Central St Martins School of Art and Design in London. He has built a long successful career of over half a century and has held many solo and group exhibitions in Malaysia and abroad, contributing immensely to the early development of modern Malaysian art. He works mainly in watercolour and acrylics, moving between realism and the abstract with unexpected results.

Here, in this contemplative work Cluster, Sharifah uses non-representational images, organic shapes, strong complementary colours set against each other. Aesthetic elements such as shapes, colours, planes and textures are combined in a way to give rhythm, balance, repetition and contrasts to create a vibrant artwork. Rich interactions between fragments of coloured shapes, interlocking and overlapping one another further evoke various resonances and energy. Full of lyrical symbolism, Sharifah’s art expresses divine truth and her spirituality.

Graduating from the MARA Institute of Technology, Shah Alam in 1971, Dato’ Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir (1948-) imbibed Abstract Expressionism early in her career. She furthered her art education at Reading University, UK and later Pratt Institute, USA, earning herself a Master of Fine Arts. Following that, from 1982-89, she took up the post as a curator at the National Visual Arts Gallery of Malaysia.

Under the trees depicts a scene of people quenching their thirst with ice treats and satiating their hunger at Mamak stalls under the shade of trees in the afternoon. This simple and ordinary yet beautiful scene is rich in the Nanyang style and locality.

Fung Yow Chork was born in Guangdong Province, China in 1910. He came to Singapore in 1933 to learn painting from Chong Pai Mu. He emigrated to Malaysia later and he was one of the “self-taught” artists in the earlier days. He loved to scribble and paint, cultivating his passion for nature and developed acute observation ability. The transition of light and shade characterises his work which forms consistency, tranquillity and liveliness in his artistic style.

Chia Yu Chian’s works emphasise various aspects of the locality, focusing on the lives of people in the streets. In Bukit Nenas he used striking colours in painting groups of buildings to stimulate the viewers’ visual senses, highlighting his creativity, ingenuity and brevity in his unique use of colours and shapes in his compositions.

Chia Yu Chian was born in 1936 in Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia. He graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. He was honoured as the first recipient of a scholarship to study at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Paris in 1959.

Bali 2001 depicts a scene of devout Hindus heralding the celebration of rituals. Expressing their gratitude to the deities, female devotees are depicted carrying offerings on their heads alongside male believers, slowly walking to the temple. There is a stark contrast between the lively ceremony and the serene expressions of the characters.

Tew Nai Tong was born in 1936 in Klang, Selangor, Malaysia. After graduating from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore, he continued his studies at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris. Through his personification and scenes of tropical lives in Southeast Asia, painted in bold strokes and colours, he instilled an intense aboriginal flair, expressing his passion towards the beauty of simplicity and mundane pursuits of life.

Found within Fatimah Chik’s highly textured works, which sometimes include collage elements, motifs such as triangles and circles symbolising mountains, early learning or success in life. This work entitled Prosperity perfectly exemplifies her artistic intentions. Inspired by textile motifs and the arts and crafts of the Dayak, Batak, Sumbanese and Malays, this large contemporary abstract landscape is full of interweaving patterns of shapes such as triangles and circles, carrying numerous layers of meaning and significance. For one, it reminds young people to learn as much as possible when they are still young as this would lead to a prosperous life full of strength and hope. The repetition of motifs creates a rhythm that represents a never-ending cycle of life, with each type of inhabitant living harmoniously and in unity in its allocated place and with each other. 

Fatimah Chik is Malaysia’s second-generation batik artist. Trained as a textile designer at MARA School of Art & Design, she experimented with traditional methods of printing and dyeing and successfully fused the craft with the contemporary fine art contexts, creating an entirely new combination with rich and symbolic Southeast Asian textile traditions. Her complex creative process includes the use of age-old traditional printing methods with blocs, meticulous hand coloured finishing and the waxing and dyeing process. Her unique style of abstract painting has given her works an undeniable distinctiveness, a style widely recognised as being her own.