Chuah
Siew Kek
Choy Siew Kek is acknowledged to be one
of Malaysia’s prominent artists; his batik paintings consistently
express his instinctive and perceptive way of viewing colour
and light. Siew Kek was born in Penang, Malaysia in 1947. He
obtained a scholarship to study at the South German Plastic
Institute in 1972.
Siew Kek grew up in a family of artists, his father, the renowned
master batik artist Chuah Thean Teng, introduced Siew Kek to
the art of batik painting. Siew Kek became fas- cinated with
the medium of batik as an art form and subse- quently created
many acclaimed batik paintings. Among his works are "BLOOM"
and "RELAXING"; both of whom are in the permanent collection
of the Yahong Art Gallery and can be viewed at this gallery
in Batu Ferringhi.
His bold experimentation uniquely expresses his intuitive and
insightful perspective, depicting the Malaysian lifestyle in
nuances of varying hues and illuminations. His paintings have
a striking poetic atmosphere that express with sensa- tional
effect. He composes a union of figures with the natural environment,
creating an earthy display.
Batik painting is a slow and fascinatingly meticulous endeavor
that requires patience as well as artistic talent. The batik
medium uses wax to block the dye on the fabric as a resist technique.
The waxing and dyeing process is repeated for each individual
colour until the artist achieves the desired result.
Siew Kek’s talent has been recognized in many interna- tional
art publications, such as "Asia Expo 86". He was selected by
the German television Channel Zweites- Deutsches-Fernsehen-Trans-Tel
to demonstrate, with his two brothers, the technique of batik
art for German Viewers.
Siew Kek has participated in many Malaysian art exhibi- tions,
including the Alam Seni Fabrik Malaysia which was held at the
prestigious National Art Gallery of Malaysia. He has also frequently
participated in numerous international art shows. Included among
his international art exhibitions are:
1973 Travelling Art Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan
1975 Kanda Gallery, Tokyo, Osaka and Okinawa, Japan 1975 Art
Exhibitions in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, Australia
1976 Eva Chan Gallery, California, U.S.A.
Currently on permanent exhibition at the Yahong Art Gallery,
Penang, Malaysia.
Siew Kek is a gifted artist with many remarkable talents. In
addition to his artistic accomplishments, Siew Kek is also a
skilled linguist, he speaks many languages including Japanese,
German, English, Malay, Mandarin and several other Chinese dialects.
Siew Kek’s knowledge of botany led him to artistically explore
one floral specie in particular, the orchid. This exotic flower
manifests an~ expression of great beauty in his native Malaysia.
Siew Kek’s paintings of the orchid’s ethereal beauty captivate
the observer’s thoughts and transforms them into sublime contemplations;
and effect not lost on the viewer.
Siew Kek utilizes a spacious range of colours, both bright and
subdued, that portray his unique style in batik painting. He
demonstrates a boundless versatility and timeless depic- tions
that manifest the artist’s thoughts. |
