So i went to pay a visit to Dr. Cheng's art studio in Cheras. First time driving there using the GPS of my car. It was great to have wei lyn to accompany me.

We arrived there around 2pm. Dr. Cheng studio is under a wisma building. It was actually quite hard to find. When we entered his studio, it was almost like entering another part of the world. It was so peaceful and calm.

After greeting, we sat down, getting myself prepare for the interview. He was really nice to us as he even made tea for us.

Below are some sharing by Dr. Cheng.


For him, Dr. Cheng felt that it is different. He painted penguin, Afrcian cactus and sunset, ostrich, as long as eyes can see, we can paint. Nothing much about it. Western people found it unique as to why chinese painting has these elements? Using Malaysia as the theme, western people found it interesting. Kangaroo can be painted, koala bear can be painted.

The theme for you to create is very very wide. Mangosteen and durian can be painted as well.

Chinese painting is not about painting bamboo, blossom, landscape or scenery. People see it that way because last time during the ancient time, the community was very small, the people there, they never left their home. They can't go anywhere because of limitation in transport. Now that the time has changed, we should go further, explore and see different things. Dr. Cheng thought that, if he were to follow the ancient people foot step, the scope would be too small, cannot be. He wanted something more, something colorful, new, that is where you can create new things.

In the early stage, Dr. Cheng already had this ambition/ wild ambition. In the ancient time, the chances to exhibit artworks was very minimal. However, now that there's a chance, we should exhibit our work internationally. Therefore, until now Dr. Cheng had already done for about 150 exhibitions of his work. He wanted to do this so much because he wanted to tell to the people that, Chinese painting it maybe just a brush, but the things that it can draw, is infinity.

Some of his friends did not realise this. They did not know that Chinese painting can also be used ti paint other elements.

"If we can paint the things unseen, what more to say the things we can see."

Dr. Cheng wanted something more than that. He felt meaningless if a person just paint the typical elements of Chinese painting all the time. Many people nowadays, even though they painted the painting but the poem is not theirs. They selected it from some other ancient poems. He felt that it is not completely your own creation. Ancient people has their own thinking, preference. However, now that he has his own painting, he should write his own poem. 100% is his own creation. This is what he had thought of in such an early stage.

He find it very hard to find someone like him. It takes time no doubt.

The people that he knows, they are usually lack of something. Some of them know how to paint, but don not know how to write poem or vice versa. Some of them know how to write chinese calligraphy but do not know how to write poem. He felt a bit pity. Thus, he demands himself to be perfect, to be able to master every part of it. He felt satisfied by achieving it all.

He taught many students in China as well and he also wanted them to be like him, to be able to master every single part. They find it very hard to do so but Dr. Cheng reminded them that they should be able to master it as it is the art from their homeland.

Chinese painting uses brush, rice paper, it is just a medium. If oil painting can paint european landscape, why can't chinese painting. The profound thing about chinese painting is different from western painting. For western painting, it is usually ended with signature after the painting has finished painted. As for chinese painting, usually they will leave a space for the poem to be written on it. No doubt there are also some people who just sign on it. The painting was actually a reflections of how the study people feel during the ancient time. It is about their heartfelt reflection.

Chinese painting contain chinese literature. To cite an example, a green bamboo is like a soldier, even during the winter time, all leaves are fallen but it is still standing there strongly. Something like symbolic representation. Some western people even classified it as a philosophy.