Sadly, Choon Ghee, one of the true artistic sons of Malaysia, died at 80, on December 28, 2010 in Penang. However, many remember him and some of us would like to thank him for the inspiration from all the artworks he left behind (in private or public collections).
He painted for well over 30 years and during that time, he made frequent painting trips to European cities like Venice, London and Amsterdam. His artworks will continue to attract those who value the skill of draftsmanship, composition, shapes, lines and colours in an artist’s personal touch.
Just look at this painting of a typical streetscape. It’s probably the corner between Lebuh Bishop and Lebuh Penang. Choon Ghee set the scene with great care, the pre-war style two story shophouse is its backdrop and the food stalls and hawkers and the people (young and old, Indians, Malay, Chinese) are in the foreground.
The three big brick columns of the building set the vertical lines and the red tiles of the roof and the veranda make up the horizontal lines. Choon Ghee juxtaposed these opposing lines asymmetrically, creating a heightened visual tension without losing the overall balance of the composition.
Next, his master stroke is in the way he put together the various vendors and their paraphernalia and their customers and passersby. Notice how economically, graciously and precisely the artist places everyone in their place and doing their jobs.
Some are eating, a few chatting, others cooking up something and many are waiting for their food. The tailor is busy and next to people drinking tea or smoking. Some finishing off (at the bottom right), a father and son walking away obviously after their mid- morning or mid-afternoon meal (judging from the shadows of the figures).
His choice of tropical colours is distinctive. He once said to me, “Daylight in the street is intense and it minimises the shadow. That is why in my paintings there are no really dark shadow areas, just small tonal gradations of a colour.”
Consequently, his watercolours are usually tinted down and quite pale with parts of the white of the paper often untouched. You can always be sure of some surprises and emphases too.
In this work, the two Indian persons, one wearing strong red and the other a green shirt (at the lower right) pull the viewer into the action of a busy “Mamak” tailor stall right next to a “Mamak teh tarik” stall with their customers. What is the attraction here? Could it be related to the local politics and politicians?
One can make a calculated guess from his artworks that Choon Ghee’s politics was certainly egalitarian. His paintings have a rich mix of Chinese, Malays, and Indians going about their business in a community upholding equality of all peoples.
Could there be a deep underlining plea in his artworks or perhaps a call of the need for the common good for the ordinary citizens of the country instead of the good of the elite few?
Choon Ghee also held clear environmental views from what we can see in his artistic collection. The motor cars are conspicuously absent from most of his compositions. The most advanced technology in his paintings are trishaws, bicycles, motor bikes and stalls on wheels for pushing.
We read that the Penang state government is serious about dealing with threat plastic bags have on the environment, perhaps they may also tame the cars and traffic on their roads and show the rest of the country how it can be done.
Choon Ghee had a car but most of the time he walked from where he used to live, Burma Road, to wherever he wanted to sit and paint. He would set out on most days with his painting block, his tools and a stool.
After choosing a cool and quiet unobtrusive spot, out of the sun, usually along a five foot way, he would start doing a quick sketch. First, he put down the details of the distinctive decoration and designs of the architecture. Then he turned his eyes on the people coming and going and stopping in front of him.
He was often in full concentration when he worked and discouraged small talk from his onlookers. Sometimes he would go on to paint in the colours but often he returned home to finish the project in the quiet of his studio.
Tan Choon Ghee may not be as popular with those who are into the works of conceptual artists who are dogmatically intent to put ideas before artistic rendition. But through his paintings, he has made many of us see and also to connect with common humanity.
This kind of artistic honesty and visual poetry is hard to find. Perhaps the National Art Gallery, to be truly 1 Malaysia, ought to place Tan Choon Ghee in a better light, in view of his life work, among the many important Malaysian “Anugerah Seni Negara.”
* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.
