Ch'ng Kiah Kiean ventures into ink paintings of Nature in latest solo outing

GEORGE TOWN, May 17 ― Black and white swirls ― depicting a tree with all its twigs and branches ― flowed onto paper in fluid lines of ink.

In another painting, mushrooms stand in clusters, painted in varying degrees of inky greys and blacks to make them look at once ethereal and earthy.

These ink-based paintings infused with the characteristics of traditional Chinese paintings are a departure for Ch'ng Kiah Kiean who is famed for his architecturally-inspired graphite sketches.

A visitor looks at Ch'ng Kiah Kiean's latest body of works comprising of ink paintings of plants and trees. — Picture by KE Ooi

Penang's well-known architectural sketch artist recently launched his latest and 12th solo exhibition, Ink-Between, at the Hin Bus Depot Art Centre.

The exhibition may be very different from what Ch'ng is well known for but the new subjects were something he's been working on for a few years.

Instead of the clean lines of buildings and streetscape, the works exhibited here are of plants, trees, mushrooms, flowers and bushes painted using his new interpretation of ink painting through a dry wash technique on watercolour paper.

The Ink-Between art exhibition by Ch'ng Kiah Kiean is until May 29. —

“I started using dry twigs and Chinese ink to draw in 2011, beginning with dots and lines before I gave ink painting a new interpretation to achieve a grey scale surface with the dry wash technique,” he said of his new works.

The dry wash technique is achieved by rubbing ink with a dry brush on watercolour paper and his latest works use a combination of the midtone splashes of greys along with pure ink lines made by twigs.

At a glance, Ink-Between looks very much like an exhibition of traditional Chinese paintings but upon closer inspection, the billowing forms of the essence of Nature stands out like abstract works of art.

The flowers and mushrooms are sometimes represented like soft clouds of grey anchored by firm twig lines, while some are whimsical shapes twirling in fluid lines and shapes.

Soft and whimsical, Ch'ng Kiah Kiean's new series of ink paintings are of trees, flowers and plants.

This exhibition features 30 different works by Ch'ng.

The exhibition may also be a precursor to Ch'ng's exploration of abstract art which he is currently experimenting with even as he continues to go on his weekly sketching sessions of buildings all over Penang.

The exhibition is now open to the public daily from 12pm to 7pm until May 29.