Choh Kiat Siong, born in Kedah, graduated from Kuala Lumpur College of Art with a Diploma in Fine Art. He has since taken part in numerous group exhibitions locally and also throughout China and in the process has received numerous awards and recognition. This will be Choh Kiat Siong’s fourth solo exhibition.
Choh Kiat Siong’s love for watercolours derives from the unique qualities that the medium possesses. To him, watercolours act as a medium of expression to denote ideas and elements of luminosity, freshness and clarity. Using the interplay of light colour and shadow, Choh Kiat Siong’s realistic impressions assume an innate human quality.
These pure characteristics of watercolours are effectively mirrored in his paintings. And the main subjects in his recent collection such as livestock, and the peaceful existence of life in the villages, street scenes and the stately heritage building, are done with a special attention to detail.
A signature of Choh Kiat Siong’s work is his masterful depictions of the goose. It is his mascot. His careful observations of this livestock, seeing them walk, run and eat as well as the coat of feathers they adorn enables him to portray these animals with human like qualities. Depictions of geese seen in the forest, rubber estates, padi fields and besides flower pots plays upon their naïve curiosity of the things around them. Other animals in his repertoire include pigeons, hens, cows and cute furry rabbits.
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His still lifes, which include the interiors of the cooking and reading areas of the kampung houses, documents a rustic environment. Flowerpots, oil lamps, teapots, strewn clogs and calendars set against a seasoned wall reveal a descriptive working environment.
Like many an artist, Kiat Siong is equally concerned about the upkeep of heritage buildings. He describes these buildings as ”full of life and meaning”. Here he adds people, trishaws and bicycle to give a sense of bustle and movement in his attempt to keep the buildings alive. Some of his favourite buildings include the Balai Nobat, Alor Star, Campbell Market Penang, Kapitan Kling Mosque, Penang as well as many well-known landmarks in the city.
The charm of Choh Kiat Siong’s work lies in its ability to capture scenes that are bound to our memories growing up, our trips out of the city to find solace and tranquility and the odd old buildings that we simply cant live without. These are all part and parcel of his art to ensure richness and warmth in the common place.
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