Reading the travel paintings of Cheng Haw Chien / Ngan Chew Pei
In Malaysia, academic research on Chinese ink brush painting is relatively uncommon and it is significantly rare to see a research on Chinese ink brush painting artist who possesses the three perfections—poem, calligraphy and painting—like Cheng Haw Chien. There has been a decline of artists in p...
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| Format: | Thesis |
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2018
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| Online Access: | http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/8592/ http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/8592/1/Ngan_Chew_Pei.pdf http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/8592/6/chew_pei.pdf |
| Summary: | In Malaysia, academic research on Chinese ink brush painting is relatively uncommon
and it is significantly rare to see a research on Chinese ink brush painting artist who
possesses the three perfections—poem, calligraphy and painting—like Cheng Haw
Chien. There has been a decline of artists in practicing the three arts of poetry, calligraphy
and painting in the modern China due to their social system. In Malaysia, access to
relevant resources on the three arts no doubt not comparable to the China. However,
Cheng has successfully acquired the skills of producing the three arts through years of
practice and persistent.
Traditional Chinese ink brush painting has such a long history and that it is never easy
to breakaway from what is so stagnant in term of its style and its techniques, and to be
able to create something fresh and unique. This research intended to examine the new
techniques and the style Cheng Haw Chien has showcased in his travel paintings as well
as to interpret the poetry inscribed in his travel paintings so to allow readers or viewers
to appreciate his artworks. These travel paintings capture Cheng’s travel experiences like
a journal—a record of subjective experiences, reflections, and with profusion of literati
tradition.
The new techniques and style Cheng has developed is based from his strong
understanding of the traditional ink brush techniques and with years of practices and
experimenting on ink, colour and different types of paper. Visual analysis of Cheng’s
travel paintings is performed by references to the literati painting theory and Lingnan
painting theory. Interpretation of poetry inscribed and its meaning in relation to the travel
paintings are perform based on the approach by Jonathan Chaves. It is this poetic
inscription—capturing one’s subjective experiences—that has shaped Cheng’s travelling
experiences and register his experience as a traveler. Through this analysis of Cheng Haw Chien’s travel painting, we can see that Cheng is
able to capture and to present to the viewer his collective travelling experiences and his
life as an artist, in both visual and verbal images, allowing viewers to appreciate his travel
ink brush paintings in a whole new experience. |
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