Tanjong Lobang Creative Encounters - Episode 4

The Mature Years: Mr. Voong's Final Impact (Part III)

Sometimes when we are just being a student, especially in our early formative years, we do not have the means to know how far our education will advance us in the future. Our fervent hope is to be successful in whatever life's undertakings we chose to follow later in life. But upon deeper reflection, I will not be doing justice to myself , the guidance of a superb art teacher and a very encouraging school environment in Tanjong Lobang School of the late 1960's, if I don't pay a tribute to Mr. Voong Kiat Fui.  I realised much later in life that the early stirrings of creativity that were instilled in me during the Tanjong days continued to flow in my 'Young Man as Artist' period and right on till 'My Mature Years Period'. 

Mr. Voong has inspired me in deeper ways than I could imagine. My skills in handling the Chinese brush I attributed much to his training. My early exposure to modern art or abstract art as we used to refer it then was largely through his demanding lessons but nonetheless filled with much fun, wit and laughter and his generosity with knowledge makes me feel that learning knows no boundary. Just as well , my exposure to batik painting, sculpture ( clay ), poster art, mixed media and water colour in 'plein air' were acquired early through his teachings , remains forever a treasured repertoire as I struggled to master the various art genres and techniques over my mature years period. Finally, I think I would not have obtained a Principal Pass A in the HSC Art Paper if not for his constant encouragement and my perceptions of him as an excellent model of an art teacher.

Those lessons and learning metamorphosed in a rather unique art exhibition which I held at the Sarawak Museum, Kuching on 14/10/81 , partly to celebrate my 30th birthday. But what touched my heart now when I thumb through the Exhibition visitors' book was a comment that best described Mr. Voong's impact on me.

" Hello, schoolmate of Tanjong long ago- Those were the days. And the work Mr.Voong gave you to do has borne fruit- congratulations."

Annis Lim, 17.10.81

A leaf from the 1981 exhibition held at Sarawak Musuem " Pameran Lukisan dan Puisi MOOD"

As a matter of great note to me, about ten copies of the booklet that accompanied the exhibition were bought by Rex Bookstore, Kuching to be sent to The Library of Congress. Today if you are to surf the internet, and visit amazon.com , and search under 'Books' category, and type 'Pameran Lukisan dan Puisi Mood' you will see mention of the book even after 26 years of the event. Well, all these would not have been possible without an excellent teacher in the person of Mr. Voong. That much I owe him.

Note: The above posting is a re-post from another blog of mine as in here....>>>http://beingmy2.blogspot.com/2007/11/mature-years-mr-voongs-final-impact.html

Tanjong Lobang Creative Encounters - Episode 3

Mr. Voong Kiat Fui ( Part II )

Mr. Voong was an art activist. By this I mean he has the best of intent in challenging us to practice the usefulness of art even at the school level. We were encouraged to take part in open art competitions, art exhibitions, art club activities, and other art-related activities in the school especially in the production of English dramas.

There is one activity of the Art Club which I enjoyed exceedingly. If you are to enter the Tanjong School Hall , on the left side of the stage is a glass mosaic piece. This was done over a couple of months because it involved breaking the thick glass mosaic blocks into smaller pieces and then glued them together by using cement. The composition depicts two fishes among weeds in an underwater scenery. The characteristic ' red sun', a symbol frequently used by Mr. Voong in his modern art painting is reflected here at one corner of the composition.

Glass Mosaic wall piece, done in 1969 by Art Club, under guidance of Mr. Voong.  Location: Assembly Hall, Tg. Lobang, Miri

Mr. Voong's other contributions

Mr. Robert Nicholl relied heavily on Mr. Voong to assist him in the yearly English drama production. This entailed him to design costumes and make-up , construct props , decor and sets. In some sets, he had to paint huge paintings as part of the living room scene. Two examples you can see here is the modern art painting in 'Tamu di Bukit Kenny' and huge portrait in 'Charley's Aunt'.

Adi has fainted! I am helping him to recover. Zainie Ozea, Zakiah and Fatimah in the background. Observe the modern art painting on the wall by Mr. Voong.

The above is an example of 'public sculpture' done by Mr. Voong out of wood. This was located next to Mr. Nicholl's office. I think the title was ' The Owl'. Yah, it's me posing next to it.

The above cover design is of the souvenir programme for the drama , 'Charley's Aunt' shown at the School Hall on 25.7.69. Observe Mr. Voong's very effective caricature of the players.

In the cover design above, note the 'fluidity' of Mr. Voong's Chinese painting style strokes. This play was staged on Friday, 6.9.68. In the above play, I acted the part of Alf Benson. My father, Charles Benson was played by Peli Aron. The play centred on a remote sea port in Great Britain around 1870.

This is a newspaper cutting of the drama from the' Borneo Bulletin'. In this play I took the role of Colonel Sir Francis Chesney. This is a hilarious drama. I could remember clearly how the audience was kept in stitches the whole evening. Note the huge portrait Mr. Voong did as part of the living room prop. This drama was staged on 25.7.69 to a full audience. For the record, the following day i.e. 26.7.69, the school organised a farewell party for Robert Nicholl.

Note: This posting is a re-post from here...>>>http://beingmy.blogspot.com/2007/09/tanjong-lobang-creative-encounters_23.html

Tg. Lobang Creative Encounters ( Episode 2)

 A Seated Figure - the only piece of clay work that's in my possession from the Tanjong days.

Note the signature and date. Well by next year it will be forty years old !

Next to my bed in Dearnley dormitory with the ' seated figure' on the table.

Robert Nicholl's letter encouraging students to be creative ..not forgetting the tools of the trade.

Mr. Voong Kiat Hui ( Part 1)

No words can express better my admiration of Mr.Voong Kiat Fui except to say that he was a real master of teaching art , a "sifu" if you will. But there again he was himself an accomplished artist. On many occasions when I had the opportunity to visit him at his teacher's quarters, I was always thrilled to see the huge size of his abstract paintings which were everywhere on the wall of his house. I knew Mr Voong as my form teacher( Form Four) , art teacher and art activist. A most pleasant personality with a friendly disposition. That's how I rememered him most. He mastered the various skills of the artistic medium which formed part of our art education syllabus in Form Four right on to Upper Six and imparted them well , for me especially.

The years of art training I had under him were very formative of my later styles in water colour, mixed media, batik and artistic activism.
Mr. Voong's influences

Mr. Voong left a lasting impression on me in many aspects. Firstly, his use of Chinese brush and Chinese style water colour technique. He taught as the proper way of handling the Chinese brush whether in slanting or vertical positions. Secondly he exposed me to modern art or abstract art in its many styles and medium, like water colour, clay work and batik. Thirdly, his love of 'plein air' painting, that is painting out of door, became my staple style used in many occasions even when I taught art to younger students in later years. Our favourite site for 'plein air' was Hicks Bay because it is closest to walk from the school. The challenge he put us was to capture the different strata of the rocky formation of the cliffs, the green vegetation that tops it, the fallen rocks and boulders below scattered on the beach, the sea, the changing skies and clouds and occasionally the sea eagles in flight.

Apart from outdoors, Mr. Voong was also excellent in studio work,like when he taught us to paint posters,still life or objects , portrait ,sculpture and batik making.
One of the moments I looked forward to was the outing to the brick kiln situated down the slope from 'gemok's tuckshop. Here we would place our finished clay work or sculptures to be baked at the kilns for free. The waiting was an extremely stressing for we would never know the result of the firing. Overburnt? Cracked? Or broken? But if all went well, the waiting was well worth the pain and stress like the clay work did entitiled ' Seated Figure'.

I still keep this piece of clay sculpture done in 1968 when I was in Form Five. My mother was so much in love with the piece that she decided to varnish one Hari Raya. The varnish has remained since. Here you can see this treasured piece of mine.

Mr. Voong worked well with Mr. Robert Nicholl. Together they made a point to stage an English drama annually for the benefit of students and the local parents as well as the Miri community at large. Mr Robert Nicholl had a way of orienting students early to be active in arts and culture even before they set foot at Tanjong Lobang's school gate. In a letter welcoming me to Tanjong Lobang school of which an exract of the letter is shown here, he encouraged students to " bring their instruments, photograpers their cameras, and those who have any other accomplishments should bring the instruments of their skills." Even'parangs' for that matter!

Noe:  This posting is a re-post from here...>>>http://beingmy.blogspot.com/2007/09/very-early-years-and-influences-mr.html