"In China and Taiwan, it is greatly encouraged by the government. It is very hard to ask Malaysia government to do so because they think this art belongs to China. The society surrounding is different. In China, they have this art gallery where they train artist and those artists there every month they have salary. Their job are just to draw so in China the life of an artist is good. In Malaysia, there is no such thing. If you ca survive by selling your art, it is good but if you can't no one will bother about it. The government will not bother about you too. To expand in such an environment, it really has to depend on you yourself. Thus, in that period of time i involved in teaching, i travelled, i drew, i exhibited my work. If i did not i came back and rested awhile."
What makes you want to come back to Malaysia?
" In oversea countries, chinese painting is not well known too as this is not part of their art and culture. The government will not encourage. I will come back because of my parents. The benefit of teaching is that, you can teach at the same time, equip youself with other knowledges, do some research, otherwise, you will reach the bottleneck stage. You have to constantly nourish yourself with knowledges.
I have the ideals, being the principal of the institution for so many years, i do thought about of fostering the interaction with some other art institutions as well. I was interested involving in education."
Western art covering eastern art?
"I would say no as the center of flow is from China. It was not being emphasized because at that time it was in the war period, the society was not safe and so they won't even bother about art. Now that the surrounding has changed, the economy rises, art gallery and muzium have established, the life of an artist is getting better and better.
I went to Russia to exhibit my work, i get to know different people. I've seen their work, it was good. They wished to come to Malaysia and exhibit their work, i find that is a great idea. So, sometimes, a painting was sold in cheap price does not mean it was not good and vice versa. Sometimes, it is due to man-made."
Chinese painting. Can it still establish firmly?
"It has to depend on the artists themselves. If a society is not motivating you, supporting you, you have to find the way. You can just stay there. You have to explore, go outside, show the people your work. Once there are people who acknowledge your work, you fear no more. You have to step out and let people found out your talent."
Chinese painting not being acknowledge in Malaysia?
"If a friend praised about your work is not effective because you are that person's friend of course that person praised you. However, if it is a professional, an art critic praised about, have good comments about you, you have to believe because it is more professional. It is more fair.
It is very realistic. You need someone who is professional who acknowledged and appreciate your talent your work so that people will believe."
Why Malaysian has no passion in Chinese painting?
"There are actually a lot of people who learn chinese painting, just that they tend to stay at that level. It depends on how deeply you are in chinese painting. It really takes time in researching and practice.
If you really want to understand every single dynasties, their changes in chinese painting, their transition. You really need to discover your own style. You need to think and oversome different challenges one by one. You can't follow the foot step of the old times. They are already good in that area because what they can draw at that time were not a lot. So, if you are thinking of wanting to excel them is very hard. Find some new things and experience the breakthrough."
Reasons that Malaysian artists cannot breakthrough.
"Most of the artists, including the one i know in Hong Kong, many of them are still following the foot step of their teachers. Be a stickler to a routine. Without any thinking, just memorised. It is never easy because you need to think, you need to struggle. That is why you need to do some research. If you don't, it is very hard for you to come out with something new.
You need to have the desire to learn. If you have such desire, you will know what it needs to prepare for the challenge. You can't just briefly talk about it, you need to really have the heart to do it.
Not just Malaysian, there are some of my friends who are still maintaining the same level. So i feel that study is still very important. You have to constantly study, think and practise. I always have such curiousity that i will constantly questioning why are they doing so good, i also want to be like them, be humble in learning. I will choose to travel to that place no matter how good people describe about that place. I will still want to go there by myself and truly experience it."
Chinese painting has the qualities to instill interest among young people?
"I do hope they will learn it well. I feel that in this modern lifestyle, the temptation is huge for them. They won't consider this unpopular subject , i actually classified chinese painting as something unpopular. They felt that there is no such need to study chinese painting. They will start questioning whether it brings any benefit to them when they study, can it allow them to earn money? They will tend to associate it with money, whether can it sell, can they earn money from there, what can i become when i study it? So i told them not to be realistic, you can learn during your spare time in work. Don't stop. If you persevere in practise in doing research, i believe that one day you will succeed.
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