|
Cheung Pooi Yip was born in Penang in 1936 and moved on to stay in Kedah
where Cheung nurtured his natural talents and growth in his Art
paintings. He has no formal training in Art line many of his coevals at
that time. The Artists of his generation learned from each other the
various techniques in execution. Being spontaneous and full of
creativity and from one of the coercive mentors - Cheong Soo Pieng who
yielded enormous influence in the early development of his Art. Cheung
aspired to be a full time artist in the early 60s. However, due to
period the unstable economy, a lack of art appreciation and patronage
during that period, naturally dissipated his aspirations. Being
realistic and pragmatic he went on to be a professional frame maker in
order to support his living and Art painting. From then on he divided
his time between frame making and his own art successfully. He has
indeed made a wise decision as many of his customers were also artists.
His association with two prominent Penang artists, Datuk Chuah Thean
Teng and Tan Choon Ghee motivated him tremendously. In 1961, he emerged
in the local Art scene when his paintings were being selected for
Singapore local Artists Annual Show. He then went on to participate in
various local and International Exhibitions, winning acclaims and
recognition.
Cheung’s favourite media are in oil and acrylic. His earlier works were
painted in oil and gradually he moved on to newer styles using acrylic
for his works in 1070s. His early canvases revealed paintings of the
outdoor of hills, villages and rivers of Sungai Petani which gives the
town the rustic charm. Cheung’s themes depicted the many lifestyles and
human activities of people around him engaging in daily activities. His
Art paintings personified the favourite in the contemporaries during
that era.
By late 1980s, Cheung adopted a new approach to his art, taking a change
in this Art style. Instead of painting the outdoors, he turned to
serious indoor studio experimentations exploring the aesthetics of
brushwork with more sophistication reflective and a more personalized
unique way of expression with a brush. |
