source: The Star Publications Malaysia .Metro
, 2003 / 01 / 14
Young
artist with a sense of maturity
by Esther Chandran
Young as she may be, 20-year-old Lee Hui Ling is a name to look out for on the local art scene.
Her
third solo exhibition entitled “Little Book of Days” revealed volumes about
the artist’s progression in the world of arts.
Her
first exhibition two years ago featured drawings and paintings on lifestyles of
people in Klang, architectural structures such as the Convent High School in
Klang and of the family, expressing the simplicity of life as seen in a passing
memory.
But
it is evident that the artist’s style and technique have a subdued strength
and a sense of maturity as seen in the paintings at “Little Book of Days”
exhibition.
Gone
are the innocent lines and strokes. Instead the 24 art works, which were on
exhibit over the weekend (Jan 10 to 12), show Lee’s talent, deep commitment,
effort and expressiveness in her work.
The
Liberal Arts student at the Sarah Lawrence College in New York is going places
and has a promising future as an artist.
The
exhibition is a pictorial effort, documenting a series of paintings in charcoal,
pen-and-ink drawings, watercolours and oils featuring sceneries, flowers and
sculptures with the Sarah Lawrence series, Sunflower series and Bodhisattva
series.
It
is a follow-up to her second solo exhibition entitled “Pictorial Journey “
which took place at her college in October last year.
“Paintings
have a way of explaining things that photographs don’t.”
“As
much as I wish accurately record what I see, in my eyes the play of light causes
the images to be constantly moving, thus the picture I capture with my mind and
quavering brush is motion sequence that can be discerned through the brush
strokes,” Lee said.
Clearly,
the play of light is an important element in her painting, showing the intensity
of her choice in subject matter, which is no longer confined to self-portraits,
animals and abstract art.
The
Bodhisattva sculptures at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York brought
about a certain fascination to Lee and she spent a lot of time sketching and
painting the lovely treasures of ancient Asian heritage.
“While
working on the Bodhisattva series, I approached this subject from an artistic
and aesthetic point of view because to me, the Bodhisattvas echo the universal
theme for peace” Lee said, adding that she created the series as a response to
the turmoil and devastation of the Sept 11 attacks at the World Trade Centre.
Her
interest in sunflowers, which she refers to as the “most distinctive and bold
species of flowers” is the reason she chose to highlight them on canvas.
“Through
my brush strokes, I hope to capture the heart and soul of the sunflowers, its
passing moods, deliberate moments of brilliance, the sturdiness and secrets
within its petals and luxuriant leaves,” she said.
Some
paintings on display are not for sale and these include the Sarah Lawrence
series, where scenes from her room in New York are documented as personal
keepsakes, and will serve as a reminder of her undergraduate years at the
college.
Other
paintings in memory of the college are The Cello Player #1 and The Cello Player
#2 which are done in Chinese ink.
Present at the first day of the exhibition were the artist’s mentors, her parents Lee Kian Seng and Shoko Lee and National Art Gallery board of trustees chairman Tan Sri Kamarul Ariffin Yassin.
Esther Chandran 2003 / 01 / 14 The Star Publications Malaysia.