Value of an artwork can only be appreciated if it comes with content, understanding and point of view, says artist
This piece is entitled ‘Homebound’.
FOR Raymond Tiong Yiong Ching, he believes that the creation of all arts starts with love.
To him, it is the love nurtured and developed throughout the work that determines the value of the outcome.
However, not everyone can pursue this with great determination, as some may decide to give up halfway – the path towards creating one invaluable art is difficult, to say the least.
Raymond Tiong Yiong Ching
“You cannot talk money here. The reason why so many artists are struggling is that money cannot be the subject. Artists just have to find ways to feed themselves and their families, while developing their own art,” the 68-year-old artist told thesundaypost in Sibu.
Having loved arts since his schooldays, Tiong said this field had always been his strongest point. He even joined the arts club, where the teachers would bring the members for outings where they got draw different sceneries and subject matters.
On his own path
Tiong had already dreamt about pursuing arts as a career when he was in secondary school.
His father did not disapprove of this decision, but he did warn Tiong that there was no future for an artist.
A painting of a fishing boat done by Tiong.
“I chose that path, nevertheless. After finishing secondary school, I went to the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore for my Diploma in Fine Arts and Graphic Arts Design.
“In the 1970s, we were able to study and work — I studied hard, and I worked hard.
“I was also lucky enough to obtain a scholarship under the Lee Foundation and thanks to that, I was able to finish my studies,” he said, adding that he also took French language lesson in that he had planned to further his study in Paris after graduation.
However, this Paris dream did not materialise as his father asked him to come back to Sibu.
So in 1977, Tiong returned to his hometown and it was there that he decided to establish the ‘Advance Arts Advertising Company’ – an operation focusing on advertising, signs-making and graphic-designing.
Tiong said over the past 40 years, he felt no regret in not being able to pursue his study in Paris. The most important thing for him was to do something that would enable him to continue practising his artistic skills.
He acknowledged that upon graduation from any arts academy or college, it would not guarantee that the graduates would immediately become artists.
“Being an artist means that you have to work your way through it and establish yourself.
“You need to create your own path, and this must start with the interest and love for the arts.
“Still, having interest alone would not get you there if you’re unwilling and not determined enough to walk down the difficult road.
“For myself, after graduation I understood about the need to make a living, so I decided to start something that’s related to my love for the arts; hence, this company.
“I can provide for my family, and at the same time, I can develop my skills in fine arts,” he said, adding that many of his former course mates had decided to let go of their dreams.
‘Having content is a must’
Despite being busy with his business, Tiong is always in contact with his fellow artists, exchanging ideas and materials with one another.
Moreover, he has also discovered a deep love for his own Foochow Chinese culture – he loves going to Sibu’s Tua Pek Kong Temple and paint the scenery there.
Tiong loves the scenery of the Tua Pek Kong Temple of Sibu, as represented in this artwork.
In this respect, it is not about merely copying what he sees; rather, it is all about the expression and the communication.
“Content is essential. What do you want to tell? For example, there’s this one time that I went to the paddy field, and I saw how the planting was done.
“I needed to know how life was there and because I needed to know the community, I decided to stay and just communicate with them and observe.
“It’s through understanding that would bring your drawing to a different meaning.
“The technical parts only come after that – the composition, the positioning, the lighting, the balancing, the colour-contrasting and a host of other things, all of which can help bring the art to life.
“Drawing is not just simply drawing. I mean, of course I can draw a scenery, but what is the meaning of a drawing when there’s no point of view? Only through your point of view, can you create that relationship between your creation and the people.
“That’s how people can feel and connect with your drawing.”
Tiong believed that to develop any skills, including in the arts, one must observe, study, read, explore and practise.
He said he started off at Nanyang Academy studying the basics, and throughout his time there, sketching had become a continuous lesson.
According to him, the first-year students would be taught basic shapes – in his case, he would draw the same thing over and over again in 3D.
“Yes, you would feel bored doing the same thing all the time, but again, this is perseverance.
“We must persevere if we wanted to develop our skills.”
He said the first-year students would also be taught water-colouring, wood-carving, Chinese paintings and theories.
This piece signifies one of Tiong’s favourite arts, the Chinese calligraphy.
Only in the second year would they learn about oil-painting, before progressing to still painting and life figures in the third year, he added.
Relating his experience, Tiong said he had to complete an assignment on sculpture before he could graduate.
“Those who love arts already have the creativity. However, creativity needs to be nurtured – the more you nurture it, the more valuable your artwork becomes.
“Some people may draw cartoons, and some would just copy other drawings, but what makes a painting valuable is the meaning behind it,” he stressed.
Tiong also believed that arts should not be kept only to oneself; they should be shared so that they could be developed in society.
In this regard, he remembered a story about Picasso giving away 270 paintings to a friend.
This friend, however, decided to donate the paintings to a museum so that Picasso’s work could be shown to the world.
“Not all things you can buy with money. Even if you had lots of money, you could not bring them with you after you died. So the question is – what do you want to leave behind?”
Answering his own question, Tiong said it would be the difference that he could make in society.
“If you could contribute to society, it would be an empowerment and encouragement that could never be bought.”
‘Art is life’
Tiong’s love for his own Foochow Chinese culture seems to have suited him for the role of the curator of the World Fuzhou Heritage Gallery at Jalan Salim in Sibu.
This painting by Tiong depicts the Igan Bridge.
The gallery boasts of having over 600 items, most of which are over 100 years old.
“This gallery attracts many visitors and only through that, this building that we have built becomes meaningful. People can come to visit.”
Not only that, Tiong is always in contact with his former coursemates, and they always exchange ideas and share their works with one another.
“I used to bring them to tours around Kuching, the longhouses, and several exhibitions.”
Last year, Tiong set up the Sibu Contemporary Arts Association, with him as the chairman.
According to him, the association aims to develop the arts, especially the painting genre, and also to bring all the art lovers in Sibu together.
“As an artist, I think it’s a failure if you failed to develop your skills and talent.
“As artists, we need to grow by learning from one another.
“Sibu is such a small town, and people need a place to develop. You’d never know what talents they have.
“We have established the association not just to teach, but to learn from one another,” he said, adding that the association has about 20 members for now.
Tiong said initially, the association had planned several activities for its members but nothing could be implemented due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“At the moment, we are holding a small-scale exhibition at Pustaka Sibu (divisional library),” he said.
Another artwork from Tiong, entitled ‘Iban Drums’.
Tiong also decided to publish a book, meant to introduce himself and also to showcase his paintings and contributions to society.
As he had said before, it was not about the money – Tiong said there were no monetary gains at all from being a curator of the gallery and the chairman of the association.
“What I want is for people, not just artists, to learn in life is that there’s no such thing as the easy road in pursuing whatever goal or dream that you have.
“Art is life, and it is about life — you cannot separate the two.
“I guess this teaches us to be brave. As artists, to have interest in the arts is a start, but we need to be brave in choosing our own path,” he pointed out.