Graphic design graduate believes he is cut out to be an artist

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TALENTED: Chee paints at a mall.

TALENTED: Chee paints at a mall.

SIBU: Forty-two-year-old Chee Seng Hong who graduated with a Diploma in Graphic Design from Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA) years ago believes he is cut out to be an artist.

He said he had done splendidly well with fine arts since his school days, but had taken up graphic design for tertiary education at the wish of his mother.

“My mom thought fine arts had no prospect as far as livelihood was concerned,” he related.

Chee said he got a scholarship offer to study at MIA, and there were various subjects to choose from.

“I wanted to do fine arts, but mom asked me to choose graphic design and that was how I got into graphic design,” he said.

After graduation, Chee worked as a graphic designer in Kuala Lumpur, but was always haunted by the feeling that graphic design could not bring the best out of him.

“Most of the time, I had to oblige to the suggestions and ideas of customers,” he explained.

GREAT PICTURES: Some of the portraits Chee painted.

GREAT PICTURES: Some of the portraits Chee painted.

Later, Chee decided to pursue his real interest, which is in fine arts.  He said he could honestly express himself in painting but not graphic designing.

Back in Sibu in 1994, Chee was still engaged in graphic design but would travel to Bintulu over weekends to teach children drawing and painting.

“Giving tuition in fine arts to children in Bintulu supplemented my income,” he said, adding that he fared quite well because there were not many art teachers in Bintulu then.

That went on for eight years. Thereafter, he stopped going to Bintulu but opened an art class in Sibu and became full-time art teacher.

PROUD SHOWCASE: Some of Chee’s collection at the drawing class centre in Pusat Tanahwang.

PROUD SHOWCASE: Some of Chee’s collection at the drawing class centre in Pusat Tanahwang.

In 2009, he opened a centre for art classes and started his own art studio in Pusat Tanahwang (opposite SMK Sacred Heart).

From painting sceneries and still objects, Chee ventured into portrait painting.

In fostering interest in portrait painting, he rented a place in a shopping mall to share with others his works.

Chee is also an avid photographer.  However, he said artists and photographers tended to perceive things quite differently.

HARD WORK: The painting that Chee took about two months to do.

HARD WORK: The painting that Chee took about two months to do.