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Monday July 9, 2007

Chee finds his calling in art

By VIVIENNE PAL
Photos courtesy of THE ART COMMUNE

Sombre: The colours in Royal Ease, like many of Chee’s pieces inspire an emotional reaction.

ASK E.H. Chee about a defining moment in his life and he would probably say at the turn of the 21st century.

“I decided to be true to myself, to be a fine artist,” he said, adding that it was not a spurious decision based on a whim rather, it was what he felt was right.

“I was supposed to go full swing into film production but something held me back – my desire to paint,” said the new-but-not-so-new-kid on the art block.

With only three solo exhibitions since 2004, Chee, 43, could well be dismissed as a rookie in the fine art scene but his 25 years of experience as a commercial artist in the film industry makes him an authority in his own right.

To pursue his dream, Chee did the unthinkable in 2000 – he sold his house to finance his Fine Art studies at the MSC College “for the second time”, rented a 1,212 sq m studio as well as buying materials such as canvases, paints, books and brushes, and also travelled – all in the pursuit of art.

Hypnotic: Gombak Gemilangis one of Chee’s series of paintings on the rooster. Note the vivacity radiated by the colours and brush strokes.

His approach was almost extravagant for someone who was trying to discover his own style in an industry permeated with artists with enough experience and fresh graduates from renowned art institutes in the country.

“I treated my canvases like they were pieces of A4 paper, ordering in rolls and splashing on the colour – experimenting all the way without being calculative on the cost of material,” he said.

Chee discovered his “groove” two years later in a fusion of technology and understanding of colour gained from years as a commercial artist, and a fresh perspective with an academic twist garnered from his theoretical stint at the MSC College.

With confidence gained from establishing his own style, Chee embarked on his first solo exhibition themed Birth of The Flow in 2004, with his second solo show simply titled Paintings & Drawings last year.

At a glance, Chee’s work displayed a certain maturity, his strokes exuberant and decisive with accidental effects – both natural and contrived – that gave that extra edge to what was a masterly interplay of colours, texture, and abstract shapes and figurative which engaged the viewer into contemplation.

His works seemed somewhat “familiar” colour-wise, however, the emotional intensity that he has somehow managed to impart through a circuitous route from his heart, to his eyes, hand and brush, is unique.

Chee does not stick to a tried-and- tested medium but allows himself a freedom of expression through oil (his favourite) mixed with charcoal, acrylic, pigment and polymer, all delivered through dips and splashes of the brush, smears and direct pouring of paint.

This latest exhibition documents his growth from 2002 until the present and Chee is clearly proud of the distance he has “travelled” so far.

Attention-grabbing: Chee takes the bull by its horns in this piece entitled Cow.

The true test, however, is whether he remains relevant in the coming years – a matter he has pondered deep and long, and perhaps has a solution to it.

“Much as my focus is on fine art. I won't quit commercial art. I have laboured long to arrive at where I am today, having taken into consideration the possibility that I may someday reach a plateau where impressing the art-appreciative public is concerned, which is why it took so long before I finally decided that this style of mine would have enough impact,” Chee said.

“My first show was a dipstick test to gauge public reception of my work and I am happy with the response so far. Ultimately, there is always a strategy, a back-up plan for everything and that is how I have thought things through. Besides creativity, artists must be able to manage their careers in every aspect,” he said.

E.H. Chee Paintings & Drawings can be viewed at Suria Stonor, 16, Persiaran Stonor, Kuala Lumpur from 11am to 5pm daily until July 30.

For more details, call 019-3368 928.