In the year 1981, an artist I became

The Digital era 2012 and beyond
To see more of my works and adventres in art online, please follow the links below:
# mygalerimood.blogspot.com

Batik pieces for sale,
early 2000's

In the year 1981, an artist I became.  It has been a long journey and it is not going to stop.  There is however a very important milestone in my passion for art.  It was in Kuching, Sarawak that I decided to celebrate my love for art and poetry in one exhibition.  I organised an exhibition never seen before in the capital city.  In the exhibition, my paintings were displayed together with other poetry works of mine. The poems were stenciled, drawn and and some recorded and the readings played as background sound and music for visitors to the exhibition.  The exhibition was a real success thanks to the great help of my artist friends in Kuching and the Sarawak Museum which provided the exhibition space. My adventures in art started very early while I was in lower secondary school in Bintulu (1963-1966), however it was at Tanjung Lobang College (1967 -1970) that my art training received a firm foundation.  In the 70's I was busy doing further studies at Pulau Pinang but continued to put some of my artistic talents to good use in making shadow play puppets, a minor option I took.  In the university years I found great escape in doing pen sketches of myself in different moods.  In the 80's I concentrated on making batik works which were mainly for sale. In the 1990's I did a few abstracts and this trend continued into the 2000's .  My abstract paintings have one very important thing in common.  The paints I used were left overs which I recycled in the form of abstract works.  When the Internet arrived and the digital age is here to stay, I toyed around with digital art which I called 'rendart' or art rendered digitally.  I am blessed to have acquired the skills of an artist to interpret the world around me and which has made me feel  'an artist at heart'.  Art is a need and I am most satisfied when I can express myself to fill the need  intuitively, intellectually and culturally.

Happy Malaysia Day, Sarawak.

( Note: This is the 10th  post on what it is meant to be a Malaysian as part of my writing contribution to Malaysia Day which will  to be celebrated on the 16th of September.)

1981 - First Solo Art and Poetry Exhibition , at Sarawak Museum, Kuching.
My artist friends and lovers of art who assisted in organising the exhibition.

Exhibition booklet for the first solo exhibition, 15 -17 October,1981.
This booklet is kept by the Library of Congress, follow the link below:-
# https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/search?searchArg=pameran+lukisan+dan+puisi+mood&searchCode=GKEY%5E*&searchType=0&recCount=25&sk=en_US

As a young artist at Tanjung Lobang Beach, Miri. 1968.
At Tanjung Lobang College I received a firm foundation in Art.

At my first solo exhibition in 1981.

Once there was a sculpture

Clay model entitled ' Seated Figure', done in 1968

 The days spent at Tanjung were formative years in my development as an artist.  In 1968 barely 5 years after Sarawak jointly formed Malaysia with Sabah, Malaya and Singapore, I was studying art in Form Five as an exam subject for my School Cambridge.  In that year I made a sculpture in clay called 'Seated Figure'.  My initial and the year the work was done are inscribed on the sculpture.  My days spent at Tanjung Lobang School (and later named Tanjung Lobang College) were 1967-68 (Form Four - Form Five)  and 1969-70 (Lower Six -Upper Six).  Those were days of creative freedom that instilled in me a deep and lasting passion for the arts, fine arts and performing arts.  These were fully encouraged by the school principal by the name of Robert Nicholl.  The conducive environment provided by the school and the expert guidance of our art teacher Mr. Voong Kiat Hui made us enjoy art in ways that have far lasting impact after we left the school, and continues to this day.  I still keep this clay model and is a prized collection for me.  I have written quite extensively about Mr. Voong .  The links are here, more here and finally here.

On reflection I really  feel fortunate to have studied at Tanjung Lobang School  and especially the art instruction I received there.  In many ways it has given me a rounded education that encouraged creativity and passion for the arts - fine arts and performing as well.

Happy Malaysia Day, Sarawak!!

  (Note:  On the 16th of September, Sarawak will celebrate its independence being a party to the formation of Malaysia.  As part of remembering history I'll create some posts on what  it means to be a Malaysian as I have experienced it.  Check out the rest of the postings by following this link here.)

Me in Form Five with the clay model - 'Seated Figure'. 1968.

Images of Bintulu Today

Call it guerilla art, graffiti or street art - these are fluid expressions of urban creative aesthetics. Saw this at the Assyakirin Commerce Square. The graffiti covers part of a wall which hide the municipal rubbish bins. For more pictures of Bintulu's graffiti, click here.

Bintulu's sea sprays are ideal for coastal hibiscus plants. For more coastal hibiscus stories please go here.

One major thing that makes Bintulu a league above other towns of Sarawak is the abundance of fresh fishes at the local fish markets. I'll never miss to drop by at the fish market if ever I'm shopping in town. There's so much unspeakable plain joy in eating fresh fishes be it grilled, BBQ, souped, smoked or eaten raw ( umai or sushi style). Want to know more about fish markets and seafood menu, please click here.

Images of Kuching Today

Flower power at Satok Sunday market

This weekend flower market is part of a bigger attraction called the Satok Sunday market. Many new varieties of plants can be bought here at reasonable prices. Besides flowers, fruit trees and orchids are available . More images of Sarawak orchids can be seen here.

Ethnic art on sliding door

At the Kuching Waterfront shop I noticed this creative use of Sarawak's ethnic design for a decorative wooden sliding door. Sarawak's diverse ethnic traditions have produced some wonderful designs ideas. To see more ethnic design art please click here.

Serikin shopping

Serikin is a popular shopping destination for local tourists from Sarawak, Sabah and more so from Peninsular Malaysia. It provides a growing market for goods made in Indonesia for the Malaysian tastes. Chiefly among them are textiles, personal accessories, rattan goods and many more. For more stories about rattan mats from Serikin please click here.

Be there right time and moment in colours

Behold the trees are aflame. This row of Flame of the Forest trees ( Delonix regia) caught me ready with a camera on a visit to Singapore. Often you have to be prepared in the old days of colour photos with a camera loaded with colour films to be lucky. Now you can capture even better and striking images with a nokia handphone or a sony digital camera at much reduced prices, handy convenience and no developing costs. Still I consider lucky to have been born during the B&W era, grew in colour films and now re-born in digital times. But all these technology will be in vain if you aren't there the right time and moment.

The moment of truth. You just got to be here to immortalise the intense beauty of this flowering Angsana tree ( Pterocarpus indicus). This picture was taken in Bintulu . Beneath the tree the fragrance of the flowers strikes me eager for more. But alas the blooms last for a day or two. So if you happen to pass this tree while in full bloom let life take the back seat and go underneath the tree to sensualise the moment of truth.

On a trip to Singapore a very long time ago I was impressed at this tree called the Tecoma pentaphylla which was better known as Tabebuia alba in later years. Its white blooms engulfed the whole tree. Sometimes it's the blooms that remind us of the specialty of a particular place.

Old photographs are nostalgic and memories are made of these. Be finger-clicking good and live life with few regrets. If only you have to enjoy art for art's sake please do. You really need to be passionate about art to be passionate about life.

Images of Bintulu Today

Late afternoon ferry boat arrives at the Kmpung Jepak jetty near Swee Joo supermarket after crossing the Kemena River from the 'tambang' wharf opposite. See more pictures and stories about Bintulu here.

Grafitti seen on the half-wall of an overhead bridge at Bintulu town.

Pinkish orange to red flushes of the Eugenia oleina tree at my Kambatik Botanic Garden.

Empty glass,empty talk?

In Kuching still and enjoying the distant sunset over my garden. This morning I decided to create a blog to journalise my re-opening of interest in philosophy. I've been interested in philosophy since my student days at the University of Pulau Pinang in 1972. Over the many years of working and waking life, I've not consistently turn back to its pages. From now onwards I think I would like to jot down some insights I had before and presently about philosophy. Today is the re-start of this continuing adventure in my life. I find that in this age of the Internet I can now easily find information about the subject which were not available during the university days of the library and books. Where do I begin?

Scarcity in economy is an important quality in Chinese brush painting. With the minimum of strokes you must be able to achieve the essence of the subject. Have I achieved the above in one minute attempt?

In my mind which I carry everywhere I go especially the software called knowledge. As one quote which automatically comes to mind defines :-

"Knowledge is of two kinds; you know the subject yourself or you know where to get information upon it".

Meaning in the first instance you are an 'expert' and in the second instance you are a 'life-long learner'. The new blog entitled " Philosophy - a Sarawak Edition" will be written from a life-long learning perspective. Thus anybody at any age anywhere can join in the fun. Comments are welcome.

Now having drawn the glass on the table what do you see? I gathered this quotation ages ago and somewhere pops out of my brain cells just now:~

A philosopher is a person who looks at an empty glass with a smile.

...oops like a Taoist would say, when you look at an empty vessel what is useful is the void from which water pours to satisfy your thirst. Knowledge will be nothing if it is not useful.

So now carry on smiling. Hopefully you can find some enjoyment as I do in yearning to learn about philosophy.