Hoan with one of his oil paintings.
Gallery owner, a painter himself, strives to uphold and preserve records, documentation of trailblazing artists and their masterpieces
LIKE pioneers of any other field, Sarawak’s trailblazing artists could offer many lessons to the younger generation.
Thus, fuelled by his interest and awe in them, fine artist and gallery owner Hoan Kee Huang began collecting their stories and promoting their works.
Photo shows a section inside Hoan Gallery.
He recalled his time as a member of the Sarawak Fine Arts Society, when during activities such as joint exhibitions, the participation from the veteran artists had always been ‘all-out enthusiastic’.
“They left a deep impression on me – despite their age and how many years have passed, their passion for the arts had never lessened. They were actively involved in all sorts of activities and were still drawing and creating artworks,” he told thesundaypost here in a recent interview.
Hoan was very moved by their spirit, but he also said at that time, which was around 2005, he could not find Sarawak’s art history anywhere.
“That’s when and why I decided to collect and keep the history of fine arts in Sarawak by interviewing the artists, during which I came to realise that the pioneer artists’ spirit and determination were unparalleled, and that’s something that was worth learning, especially for the younger generation,” said the 50-year-old Kuchingite.
According to him, among the lessons to be learned are these pioneer artists’ pursuit of breakthrough in art, their constant explorations and experiments with the new media in painting, as well as their passion in this field.
“They emphasised a lot on exposure – read more, see more, think more, communicate more with other artists, and learn from one another.”
Remembering the pioneers
Hoan highlighted three memorable events that stood out for him, with regard to Sarawak’s pioneering artists.
Veteran artist Lee Hock Kia (left) looks on as mural artist Leonard Siaw works on the canvas.
“In 1992, (the late) Foo Syn Choon suffered from retinal detachment that he could hardly see.
“After treatment, his condition got slightly better but he could not stand bright sunlight, yet when he was able to he would still do ‘plein air painting’ (outdoor painting).
“At the time when he was hospitalised due to diabetes, he would draw whenever possible,” he reminisced.
Hoan was deeply impressed by Foo’s famous quote: “Live for art, draw until you drop, and that will be the end of it.”
Another memorable moment was when he brought the late Chen Chee Chien to Santubong Beach to do ‘plein air painting’.
An old photo of Hoan (centre) with Foo (left) and Chen during an outing.
“We reached there at 7am, and left at 4pm. At 77 years old (at the time), he (Chen) had the stamina to sit there and draw almost the whole day – he even managed to collect seashells at the beach.
“I was truly amazed by his passion in painting – it inspired me to pick myself up and keep going in later years.”
Hoan said during that period, he often brought each of the veteran artists out on trips separately as a way to keep their spirits up.
Another touching incident was in 2007, with the late Chin Kee, who had brought the Ling-Nan Art School movement to Sarawak.
Chin stepped out of the arts-scene limelight in the late 1990s. When Hoan interviewed him, it was revealed that the reason for this was because Chin was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and had injured both his legs in an accident, which left him unable to walk.
File photo shows Hoan and Chin Kee taking a closer look at an artwork.
“During a trip to Chin Kee’s old home at Lundu in 2007, he asked for a sketch book and pencil, and for the first time since late 1990s, he started to draw again, and since then, he picked up his Chinese brush and continued painting.
“It was an extremely moving and memorable moment,” said Hoan.
Fascinated by comic artworks
Hoan’s own interest in the visual arts bloomed when he was very young, through the comics drawn by artists in Hong Kong, Japan and the US.
“I was fascinated by the artwork and started to draw myself. However, I only became a full-time professional artist in 1997, starting with ceramic sculptures; then in 1998, I started doing oil painting and also experimenting with other media,” he said.
In 2000, Hoan went to Kuala Lumpur to broaden his views and to explore further, and returned to Sarawak in 2005 after have made a name for himself in the nation’s capital.
He held a ‘Malaysian Joint Art Exhibition’ in 2001, which gathered the works by artists from all across Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia, and also a solo art exhibition in 2003 where 80 per cent of the works displayed were taken up by buyers.
Among Hoan’s prominent works was a commissioned portrait of the 12th Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail, which he painted in 2003.
“Upon my return to Sarawak, I did another solo exhibition in 2005. Starting in 2006, I began keeping a record of the history of Sarawak’s fine arts, and making documentary of the pioneer artists. I had organised and run a retrospective art exhibition for six of the pioneer artists in Sarawak in 2008,” he said.
Managing own gallery
Hoan said after holding that retrospective exhibition, he began to dream about opening an art gallery meant to promote Sarawak’s fine arts — this was finally realised this year in the form of Hoan Gallery, located at La Promenade Mall in Kota Samarahan.
The gallery features artworks by past and present Sarawakian artists.
“I wish Kuching had a place where we could find the artworks of our local artists, past and present; a place that could show how local artists’ artworks had evolved over time; to let our people know Sarawak had artists whose works were uniquely Sarawak and no less enthralling than the works of the artists elsewhere.
“I strongly feel that our local artists have prominent individual styles, but many people have never seen their works. Some media used by the veteran artists, like batik painting, are vanishing; only a few are still using the old techniques to draw,” he pointed out.
A visitor views an artwork at the gallery.
Hoan expressed hope that his gallery would be able to show the value and the unique style of each artist to the public, so as to let them see what Sarawak artists had to offer.
Currently, 10 veteran artists’ works are on display at Hoan Gallery, and there are plans to add in more collections not only from other veterans, but also from the younger artists.
A batik painting by Lee Hock Kia.
On the veterans’ works, Hoan said he had personally approached those whom he had known since 2006 and interviewed them, as he collecting ‘bits and pieces of Sarawak’s arts history’.
A batik masterpiece by Stephanie Eng, another veteran in the field.
“Many local folk have very little knowledge about artists of the fine arts in Sarawak. I hope that through this gallery, people would know more about them – those in the past and the present.
“I hope the spirit of the senior and veteran artists could be inherited by the generations to come, and this gallery could be a place for those interested in the arts, and also in learn more about it.
“(This is) not only passing down the veteran artists’ determination and passion, but also encouraging those from the younger generation to chase their dreams,” expressed Hoan.