Abstract Painting: Two Ways of Seeing
November 4th, 2008
Starmag, Sunday Star, Sunday 2 November 2008, feature written by Andrew Sia
KLPac, one view of the exhibition displaying Numpueng’s paintings
KLPac another view of the exhibition displaying Victor’s paintings
Numpueng’s and my exhibition was put up yesterday. It will now be on display till 30 November, at the KLPac. It was not an easy task hanging 50 pictures on to the panels and the walls and also to make the hanging work together as two separate collections in the same space. We are happy that the paintings are finally out of our home and studio and will take on a new life of its own, at KLPac, for the next few weeks.
Andrew Sia, from the Sunday Star, last Sunday, gave us an in depth feature write up and it was such an impressive opening statement of our exhibition in the media and we hope his readers will be moved to come to visit and look at the paintings and find all sorts of visual surprises of their own.
The difficult part of producing the art works, over the months or years, in the solitude of one’s own studio or in company of fellow artist, is part of the artist’s work. The next stage is to decide when to show the artworks outside the confines of one’s own studio. But the hardest job of the artist (to me at least) is to find the group of art audience, dealers or collectors who are interested in one’s style of paintings (if one keeps changing styles and subjects as is in my case). Why?
As an artist, I tell myself that I ought not to copy my own successes of my previous works but need to constantly find new ways of seeing and to take on fresh subjects out side of the mainstream of art. This show will be a test to measure how well I have conceived and executed the Pulau Perhentian project.
Numpueng, on the other hand, has latent artistic talent. She does not loose sleeps over questions like what, when and how to paint. Her paintings show a great deal of self confidence and creativity and humour. Our son, Seenum, has a point when he says that he likes his mother’s painting better then Daddy’s. ‘Daddy’s painting are just … drips’.
The citizens of Malaysia have the right to live in freedom, dignity and fraternity.
Remembering all the deaths and sorrows of our fellow human beings all over the world, due to the military and civilian conflicts. Hoping we may find a more peaceful way to settle our warfare.
"The world has enough for everyone's need but not everyone's greed." Mahatma Gandhi
This exhibition at KLPac from 17August to 13 September 2009 tel: KLPac 03 4047 9010
Our last exhibition was in November, 2008, at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center.
November 5th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Hi Victor,
Great to see you and wife exhibiting. Wish I was there, but sadly I’m here (i.e. not there). Someone once described modern paintings as pictures of paint. Your son probably belongs to that school of art critics (and I think he’ll go far). But I wish you and Nmpueng every success.
Your man Peter Tan should be here (i.e. not there). Last week I went to a place now claimed to be the biggest shopping mall in Europe to see the world come to our once quiet neck of wood. It was a massive display house of everything from Habitat to Prada to La dee dah. But when I wanted to make a call: there wasn’t a public phone at all. Everyone seems to have gone mobile! The girl at the enquiry desk thought I was queer. And the air was filled with WiFi, which made me jittery.
I like the portrait of you with fist on chin up there. Just like you as you are.
November 7th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Hey…my heartiest congratulations to both of you! It was really nice to have met up and have lunch together. It’s good to know that there is always something going on all the time! Warmest regards and best wishes always.