Sunday, December 11, 2011

All about Pua Zhe Xuan

还记得三年前哲轩第一次来到画室的那一天，他那圆圆可爱的脸庞，乌黑的眼睛闪烁着快乐的光彩深深的吸引了我的目光。在看到妈妈美霞对孩子那不离不弃，显露爱的那一刻，让我觉得这个特殊的孩子很特别！他拥有一个难得的艺术天赋，更生活在一个爱心满溢的家庭。

在五岁那一年经过医生的诊断后，证实了哲轩是个自闭儿。这十六年来，家人的坚定支持，互动，鼓励和爱，让哲轩一一的克服了学习上的障碍。爸爸妈妈对他付出的爱和一切皆让他快乐的成长，更完全启发了他的天赋。

生活里的某一些人，事，物，在他的脑海里会变成了形状，也经常在他所绘的画面中出现，这是他的情感表达，也是内心的感受。而且有时候还会维持很长的一段时间。他在画布上涂绘的灿烂色彩总是让我们感觉到他是多么的快乐

哲轩在8岁便开始去画室向老师学习绘画。妈妈更努力不懈的寻找可以帮助启发孩子艺术创作天份的方式。这期间也参与“艺术工作营”。在一段日子后，终于找到他喜欢的原料 – 压克力，这时也开始拥有了他独特和丰富色彩的风格。

2008年8月，在完全读不懂他的思想和语言沟通不良的情况下，我和哲轩开始了第一堂课。哲轩便主动的把画画用具拿出来，坐下来后便即时的把自己脑海里的影像画出来。看他一笔一画的在画纸上描绘几何形，再仔细的涂上色彩。

哲轩和妈妈的母子之间的互动和配合让我感触好深。十六个年头里陪着孩子逐步地成长和学习，这过程可是相当不简单。大约一年的时间吧，我都一直的让他练习各种线条和尝试不同的原料。渐渐地我走进了这个即独特又特殊的孩子的世界。对待他与对待其他的孩子又不一样的感觉。因为要很用心才走得进他的世界，才看得懂他的生命故事。

引导他并不是每个星期来上课两小时所办得到的，我也开始要妈妈让他在家里重复地做练习。尽量的每一天都“做功课”，在一段日子後，他的进展程度让我们感到很开心。他每一天不离不弃的作画，每一刻都把纸张和铅笔带在身边，妈妈也很用心的配合我的要求，一起上课，回家后再继续引导哲轩进行创作的活动。所以他从来没有不交上我给予的功课。更难得的是妈妈也开始慢慢了解了那真正属於孩子的天份在，更深入明白孩子拥有自己独特的思想和感受。

我也对妈妈说：“他是多么的特别和难得的孩子啊！一个可以让我们深深地为他感到骄傲的孩子喔！

看了他这些年的作品，大大小小的，有些是经过引导的，有些是自个儿的创作。不管是画在纸上或是画布上，那些色彩的运用都让我感受到他沉浸于爱里的快乐。

尽管特殊儿童普遍上有学习方面的障碍，但是他们同样也有对于美的知觉能力与学习的权利。让我们一起给哲轩和妈妈，美霞一个精神上的支持，感恩因为他，我们领悟到生命中的美丽和体会到爱的力量，更学会了尊重每一个生命都有他存在的意义。聆听那一把以我们活在同一个世界，却一直被忽略的声音。

这一场心与心的交流，让大家用心的感受那份纯真的艺术。一幅幅的画作呈现的不只是他眼里的景物，也是他的情感抒发。这是一场难得的心路旅程分享，让我们一起学习成长过程中的经验.

Zhe Xuan, captured the attention of artist Honey Khor three years ago. It was not because he is autistic nor was it because of his talent in art, although the latter may be the reason as well. But it was the brightness in his eyes that reflected some form of cheerfulness from within him. He was captivated by the love his mother gave and the endless attention she showered upon him which made this boy special.

Zhe Xuan was diagnosed with autism at the age of five. This came as a blow to his family. Instead of succumbing to pressure from society, the family came together and and supported each other physically and mentally to overcome learning obstacles to help him lead a normal life. Throughout the years, they discovered his talent in art and decided to enhance this newfound skill.

May Seah, Zhe Xuan’s mother, has been constantly searching for ways to bring out the creativity in him since he was eight years old. During a recent art camp, both mother and son discovered his favourite art tool, Acrylic.

ZheXuan’s artistic skills are inspired by things he sees all around him. People, places, animals and things seen through his eyes are transformed into shapes as seen in his drawings. Like how clothes fashion comes in seasons, his style of drawing does too. For a period of time he drew geometrical shapes and for the next he painted his signature rainbow. Sometimes the season comes in colors too but most of the time, his paintings are bright and gleeful. All these portray his emotions and thoughts that are embedded within him that he is unable to speak out.

In August 2008, May Seah stumbled upon Honey Khor’s art studio in Puchong and she has been bringing him there ever since. Honey’s first lesson with them is indeed a memorable one for her. She was unable to communicate with him as both did not understand each other. But what came as a surprise to her was when Zhe Xuan took the initiative to take out his painting material, sat down and drew pictures of what seemed to look like animals were actually geometrical shapes. He then carefully painted the shapes in detail.

It has been a year now since Honey has guide him how to draw with a variety of lines and different types of art materials and he has never stopped trying to understand him. Teaching him feels different from teaching other children for Honey as educating him is indeed a unique and special one. She tried helping him master certain art techniques but two hours weekly is not enough. Honey then got May Seah to practice with him at home. Every day, no matter what art tool he has in hand, he would practice the same skill Honey taught him without complaining, nor showing faces nor giving up. His skills gradually improved, much to everyone’s delight. ZheXuan is a very determined child. One his mother is very proud of.

Looking through his portfolio throughout the years of living in the world of art, one can easily conclude that all his artwork portrays the artist who is filled with joy and love showered upon him by the people around him.

Zhe Xuan is a boy who draws what his eyes see and what his heart feels. The exhibited drawings are purely his with no touchups done to make it perfect. Every piece is carefully painted and drawn from his heart, something one can see only if one took the time and had the patience to do so. Parents and children are encouraged to make a trip to this art exhibition of this extraordinary boy and take a walk in ZheXuan and May Seah’s shoes. Getting to know them and seeing the amount of effort placed in each piece of art will definitely open your eyes to see and appreciate your children more than you already do.

~ written by Honey Khor & Chloe Yong, Dec 2011

Enjoy.....His beautiful works....

Saturday, November 12, 2011

潘哲轩的画作

http://www.nanyang.com.my/node/391106?tid=498

自闭儿画出斑斓色彩的内心世界

2011-10-18 14:04

只要有纸和彩色笔，哲轩就沉醉在作画的乐趣中。

走进赖美霞女士的家，一幅幅挂在客厅墙上七彩缤纷的画作立即映入眼帘，乍看之下，就像一个小型画廊。这些画作全出自她的长子潘哲轩之手，一位自闭儿的内心世界构图，不是灰色的，而是快乐的斑斓色彩，让人能够轻易感受到作画者的单纯之心。

由于潘哲轩（16岁）的表达能力不强，其母亲赖美霞是采访过程的发言人。哲轩在母亲受访时，在一旁安静的作画，偶尔也会哼一两首自己喜爱的曲子，对本人这个“外来者”也报以亲切的微笑。

孩子自闭父母要坚强过程艰辛共同奋斗

赖美霞育有三名儿子，唯有长子哲轩约3岁时被诊断出有自闭症的倾向，家人自此开始与自闭症展开漫长的奋斗过程。

她叙述当初的情况时说：“一般上，孩子约1岁就会说话，但他却没有任何的表达能力，而且理解能力很弱。我们听别人说第一个儿子会比较‘慢’，就以为孩子需要多一点的时间来学习。直到他3岁那年，情况依然没有改变，反而变本加厉；他不喜欢理睬人，跟他讲话也没有眼神交流，性格非常孤僻。”

塑造他为独立的人

经过医生透过心理测试的诊断，证实哲轩有自闭倾向，父母的心情顿时感到无助和彷徨。由于当时住在乡村地区，有关资讯不多，科技也不发达，他们只能向拥有同样遭遇的父母互相分享各自的情况，并互相指导。

一颗坚强的心是父母照顾特殊孩子的最大秘诀！无可否认，过程是辛苦的，但因着对孩子的爱，她把过程视为一种挑战，陪伴着孩子成长，从旁协助和塑造他成为独立的人。

其实，哲轩的成长过程和一般孩子一样，只是在发育时期没有表达能力，性格较孤僻。每当他对某种东西有需求，只会拉着母亲的手，指着自己想要的东西，却无法通过言语说明。

“在约4岁的时候，他的情绪开始不稳定，很容易就发脾气，同时也会发出一些嘈杂的呢喃声。从4岁到7岁的阶段是最辛苦的，因为他无法用言语表达，唯有以情绪来表达不满，所以我们开始频密的让他接受治疗。除了到诊所外，在家里也进行感觉统合运动；为了照顾他，我把工作辞了，当一个全职妈妈。”

坚持带他出门

以前，最大的挑战是带他出门。虽然他是一名自闭儿，但并不表示要纵容他活在自己的世界里，赖美霞坚持把他带出家门看看世界。

“带他出门前，我们必须做好心理准备，因为他的情绪不稳定，随时会发脾气，我们必须忍受周遭人的眼光，但唯一可做的就是‘忍’。他不喜欢去人多嘈杂的地方，而我们偏要带他去，让他克服这种环境。现在，他不再讨厌到多人的地方去了，而且情绪也有很大的改善。平时周末或假期都会带他出去走走。”

由于他从小上国小，再加上现在的老师主要是以英语与他沟通，为了不让他对语言混淆，所以，家人都会以英语跟他沟通。

画出内心世界

哲轩在5岁上幼儿园时，一拿到纸和笔，就爱涂鸦。只有在画画时，他的情绪才稳定下来，绘画的潜能就在当时被发掘了。

看着墙上的多幅画作，主要是以几何形图案、动物、风景之类的为主题。赖美霞聘请绘画老师以一对一的方式教画画，让他的学习绘画的基本技法。

她说：“有些画作是比较抽象的，我相信那是他想透过画画表达的内心世界。有时心情好，他一天就可以完成一幅画；有时心情不太好或比较大的画作，需要用一个星期的时间完成。目前所画的作品共超过50幅。我把画作挂在墙上，他偶尔也会欣赏，摸一摸自己的作品。”

为母亲分担家务

除了在家画画，他也会为母亲分担家务，像倒垃圾、抹地、洗碗等轻便的家务都可以胜任。只要家人提醒他做家务，他都会按照指示去做。

“我的期望是将来他能够独立，懂得照顾自己及处理生活起居。其实，只要有第三者从旁协助和指导，他都可以做得很好。有时我和丈夫不在家，两个弟弟也会帮忙照顾和协助他。”

家长不要放弃

她呼吁育有特殊孩子的家长不要放弃！首先，自己要接受特殊孩子的事实，不然就无法帮助他们。

“不要以消极的心态来面对问题，而要视它为一种挑战！此外，除了治疗和辅导，父母也要发掘他们的潜能，好好栽培他们。特殊孩子也有不为人知的天分和潜能，父母一定要以坚强的心协助孩子！”

【哲轩的个人画展】

为了鼓励家中育有特殊孩子的父母，哲轩的绘画老师特别为他筹办一场个人画展。画展的开幕礼于12月4日举行，时间是下午3时至5时，地点位于Great Eastern Mall的Penang Village餐厅，展览将持续3个星期，欢迎公众人士到场参观。

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Nan Yang, 2011

http://www.nanyang.com/node/394624?tid=493

对症下药发掘潜能

2011-11-01 14:02

许棐杳时常鼓励学生把绘画技巧用在生活上，学画画不是玩玩的，一定要用心的学。

“艺术不仅着重于技巧，而是我们生活中的一部分；用艺术的眼光来看待生活，生活就更加美丽！”

很多家长都爱把孩子送到绘画班学画画，注重的只是绘画的技巧，画得越像越好；一旦孩子稍微用了一点自己的“创意”，家长总是斥责孩子的不对，导致孩子的创意受限制。

许棐杳是一名绘画老师，坚信艺术可以帮助很多人。有一天，绘画班里来了一位自闭儿，她没有把他拒之门外，反倒想尽办法发掘他的绘画潜能，让他内心的彩色世界反映在一张张的图画纸上。

许棐杳：培养正确人生观绘画中体验生活

还记得较早前《南洋教育》报道赖美霞女士与自闭儿潘哲轩的故事吗？许棐杳（38岁）就是哲轩的绘画老师。

棐杳是两个孩子的妈妈，在接触哲轩之前，也曾教几位自闭儿绘画，可惜他们的父母都无法与她配合进行教导，所以学习的时间并不长。

“无论是成人、小孩或特殊孩子，学绘画不仅注重于技巧，行为态度也很重要，因为除了教导绘画以外，我也会灌输他们正确的人生观。对于特殊孩子，他们更加需要透过艺术的平台来发掘潜能。”

父母也更坚强

她明白每位父母都难以接受自己有个特殊孩子，有时她会反问自己：“如果我也有个特殊孩子怎么办？我应该如何教导他？养育普通孩子已不容易，更何况是特殊孩子？”当她看到美霞对哲轩所付出的那一份爱，她深受感动，决定尽自己最大的能力来帮助他们。

“从积极的方面来看，这是上天赐给父母一个学习的机会，他们体会了别人一生中可能也体会不到的经历，甚至比其他父母来得更刚强。”

先了解性格

每个孩子都有自己的强项，在某方面表现得不好，在其他方面可能会令大家眼前一亮。通常，她会先与孩子进行互动交流，了解其性格后才对症下药，找出适合他们的绘画种类。

“为了不浪费大家的时间和金钱，在孩子上课前会先向家长表明我的教学方式较自由，希望家长能够接受。至于特殊孩子，我会鼓励父母陪同孩子一起上课，因为老师与父母之间的配合是最重要的。”

她指出，家长必须敞开心房让她了解孩子在家里的情况，才有助于进行教导的工作；同时，也能帮助家长在家里引导孩子。

保持原创作品

“在两个小时的上课时间里，孩子必须思考要如何配色和构图。画图不一定要画到一摸一样，而是要尝试把它转变为自己的风格。我从不修改孩子的图画，尽量保持他们的原创作品。”

棐杳不是教导特殊孩子的专家，惟多年来与孩子相处的经验提升了其有关方面的知识；再加上透过各种相关书籍和朋友的经验分享，对特殊孩子的心理也有更多了解。

到柬埔寨教绘画

棐杳的爱心不只传给大马的孩子，她也把爱的种子散播到柬埔寨。当地孩子的生活困苦穷乏，缺乏工作机会导致每日三餐也是一大问题，而且也没有任何的手艺可以赚取金钱。

与学生和家长同行

在一次的机遇下，在柬埔寨街头闲逛的她发现了一间画室，里面挂满了小朋友的画作。经过一番了解，她得知该画室是由一位美国人成立，以慈善为主。透过他的帮忙，使她有机会到当地的画室和学校开办绘画班。

“我每年都会到柬埔寨三次，通常是选在学校假期的3月、6月和8月，每次会待5至10天。为教育孩子和家长，每次我会带他们同行，借此机会见识当地孩子的生活和环境。旅程的最后，每个人都获得心灵提升，并学会感恩和珍惜。”

开心的旅程

第一次到柬埔寨教绘画是2008年。除了在画室外，她也到当地的各校和孤儿院上课，老师和孩子都是她的学生。英语是她的教学媒介语，可是孩子听不懂，因此当地老师必须充当翻译员。

所谓“入乡随俗”，穿着旧衣服和拖鞋与孩子一同玩乐和学习，大家融为一体是最开心的事！颜料是她每次到柬埔寨的“手信”，因为当地卖得很贵；有时，她干脆把带去的衣物送给他们，自己两手空空的回国。

“这是一个开心的旅程，可以感染到从他们身上散发出来的喜悦，而且人与人之间的关系很亲密。当地的快乐磁场很强，虽然他们的生活贫困，但却很快乐；在那样的生活环境的条件下，他们知道自己没能力改变，只能够接受现实，愿意接受就能产生快乐。”

善心人士赞助学费

据她说，由于生活贫困，在柬埔寨仍然有70%的孩子没有上课，大部分的他们都是做一些农作活或家务事。农作活的薪水一个月大约是40美金至50美金（约150令吉至200令吉），不但收入不稳定，而且三餐也成问题。至于那些有机会完成学业的孩子就业率也不高，因为当地的工业发展不太理想，要找工作也不容易。

“当地的学费一年大约是40美金，因负担不起，唯有放弃学业。我会整理一些当地孩子的资料带回国，帮忙找愿意赞助他们就学的善心人士。”

她倍感欣慰的说，这项活动起初只有我一人在做，现在获得一大群朋友在精神和金钱上给予支持，令她深受感动。

“艺术对当地孩子而言是‘前途’和‘钱途’，除了发掘他们的才能外，也能把作品卖给游客，以赚取生活费。”

棐杳的画室挂满了很多色彩缤纷的画作，一问之下，原来那些画作是售卖作为慈善用途的，所筹得的钱将捐给柬埔寨的孩子。

Sunday, September 18, 2011

360celsius ~ 2011

http://www.360celsius.com/creative/art-from-the-heart/ .

ART FROM THE HEART

An Interview with Artist Honey Khor

For this artist, painting is not just a passion. It’s a medium to reach out to those who are in need of a helping hand. Her goal is to give back to charity. She goes the extra mile to reach out to children with her knowledge of art.

The Malaysian artist Honey Khor graduated from the Malaysia Institute of Art (MIA) in 1995, where she majored in Fine Arts after completing her high school education in Penang. When asked about what made her become an artist, Honey with a wide smile on her face replied, “My heart told me to do so.” Her sincerity and passion was clearly evident on her face.

Besides being an artist, she also owns Honey Child Development Centre in Puchong and plays a part as an art teacher at the centre. With more than 16 years of experience in teaching art to children at her centre and various kindergartens in KL and Selangor, Honey is dedicated to keeping her art programs and lessons tailor made to her student’s need and temperament – a vital link in the curriculum.

Classifying her work as contemporary art, Honey’s paintings rarely transcend the humdrum making her work comprehensible and rational. She persistently refuses to submit to grimness. Her works are creative, full of energy and joyous. It’s brimming with hope and harmony. “I love colours and also patterns. Back in college, there was this lecturer who had issues with my style – she claimed I used too much colours. So, she tried to change my method; but little did she know that it was going to be really difficult to separate me from those elements. Personally, I think I was born with the love for colours and my joyful and care-free childhood further accentuated my love for it,” says Honey. “Sometimes, even when I’m a bit down, the colours that I use can seem a bit dull but there’s always colour!

Like every creative person, Honey’s creativity flows like a river. “My paintings tell a story. Even if it’s a plant, a flower or a butterfly, it’s all a part of me. My love for nature has influenced a lot of my work.” Honey who adores dragonflies also mentioned that the little fluttering insect takes her down memory lane, her childhood days. “Whenever I look at a dragonfly, it brings to live that little kid inside of me.”

“My best moment as an artist is when I sit in front of my canvas and paint freely with no worries. It makes me feel as if I’m a piece of art.”

From where does she get all that inspiration? “My inspirations come from every single thing around me. From all that I can touch and feel to the people I meet, they are in some way an inspiration. When I wake up in the morning, I always tell myself that I’m blessed with all that I have, and I’m grateful for this life and I am able to do something that I love to do. That’s just inspiring enough for me”!

This lady with a beautiful soul is a part of The Colors of Cambodia Project in Siem Reap. She offers her talents, knowledge, kindness and warm style of educating the children through art. “When I’m back in KL, my heart is always with those children in Cambodia. Just thinking about them makes me happy because although these kids live in poverty, they are very content with what they have. They take one day at a time, something a lot of people lack these days.”

Back home, Honey enjoys spending time with her two sons. While I was having a chat with her, she mentioned about her first attempt to teach her eldest son about art. “We were sitting at the table and I gave him a piece of paper and told him to do his scribbling on the paper. He knew his limits, where to scribble and where not to scribble. Later on, I actually gave him his own piece of wall in his room that he was allowed to scribble on.” According to Honey, he only scribbled once on the wall although he was given his full rights but then he came up to her and said that he didn’t like drawing on the wall. He wanted paper. I was sitting there thinking how lucky she is to have a son like that! For a moment, I felt sorry my parents. I was quite an artist as a kid!

As with her second son, she went through the same process – the table talk, the handing-over of his “personal space”. “Unfortunately, he worked his magic on the couch and the wall,” she mentions with a chuckle. “I didn’t want to limit their creativity although I had to repaint the walls and send the couch for a good cleaning. I just kept reminding him about his wall. We eventually made a pact with one another.” As a child, Honey claimed that she never used to draw on walls but she was into drawing on soil. “It was like a huge canvas! That was my personal space.”

“I love the way kids do their artwork. As adults, I think we ponder too much on things – we think too much about the rights and wrongs but these kids are like free birds. While we sit there worrying about colour tones and proportions, they’re just letting their emotions out and the purity in them that they convey through their art can’t be compared to anything else in this world.”

“The kids’ that I teach are like little Picasso’s. They do come up with the most amazing things at times and sometimes it seems like I can learn a lot from them,” mentions Honey.

As for Honey, painting is a what-I-see-is-what-I-get medium. There’s one stroke of the brush and her aspirations are there for you to see. “I like to take a closer look at things and I emphasize them in my art. For example, leaves and tree trunks have patterns on them but by taking a closer look, you will see something distinctive in it. There is definitely that one element in any creation that sets it apart from another. That’s how my art is. Each art carries a different message.”

“I started off with oil painting but I’m more into acrylic these days. When I’m practicing on my sketching, I use water colour, charcoal, and pencils. As an art teacher, I think I need to be versatile. I need to constantly brush up on my skills. Till today, I still believe that practice makes perfect. You can’t be a superstar over-night. Have the patience to work through things and you will succeed at whatever you do,” says Honey.

“When getting prepared to do an artwork, I recollect all the events in my life. I clear my mind and pick a topic I’d want to work on at the moment. My attachment with Cambodia is so strong that most of the time, my mind wanders to my experiences in Cambodia. I relive the memories by looking at photographs that were taken in Cambodia and I’ll start my sketches. As my artworks depict mostly on happiness, I never do continue working on them if I’m feeling the slightest bit down. It just won’t turn out right. When you work on something, you need to place your heart and soul into it.”

When asked about her love for art, Honey stated, “It’s always been in me that I can make a living by doing other things. It has always been impossible for me to make a living out of selling my artwork. When my art has gone on sale and someone purchases it, I want that art piece to remind that person about the kind deed that they have done. I want my painting to serve as a sign of gratitude right from my heart. It should serve its purpose as a constant reminder that you have helped provide for a child’s educational need.”

Giving back to the community in Cambodia, that’s the sole purpose for Honey. As for charity works, she has donated the proceeds from the sales of her artwork and the Cambodian children’s artwork to Colors Of Cambodia in order to provide a better future for the children in their country. She has also placed the paintings from her students back in KL for sale. These proceeds also go for charity.

How hard is it to be a full-time artist in Malaysia? “Believe me when I say that it’s really tough! I can’t just sit there and wait for exhibitions and people to buy my paintings. I’ll be a goner by then. I have to balance my life. I need to seek a living by doing my job as a teacher and at the same time, do my part for charity. I can place my painting in a gallery but most places charge a hefty price, a certain percentage from the profit goes to the gallery. As we’re doing this for charity, the earnings will not be sufficient. I have to pounce at every opportunity that I get to showcase the artworks. It’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it.”

“I admire the struggles that artists such as Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin have gone through. They are my inspiration. Times were hard for them and they only became popular after their death. At this age and time, we’re considerably lucky. With the help of media, be it print or online social media’s, word spreads like wild fire. But, at the end of the day, hard work plays a big part in our achievements. Luck plays a very small role. Then again, I love art. I think everyone has a talent in them. We all work hard to achieve our goals and it’s always nice to have someone appreciate your work.”

Star Metro ~ 2011

8933284

Artist holds solo exhibition at restaurant

By THO XIN YI thoxinyi@thestar.com.my

A PAINTING reflects the artist’s deepest feelings and thoughts, offering a glimpse into her inner world.
Aptly titled “Colours of My Journey”, Honey Khor’s solo art exhibition at Penang Village in Great Eastern Mall, Kuala Lumpur, invites visitors to follow Khor on her life’s journey.
The bright and colourful pieces injected a sense of playfulness and livened up the white and classy interior of the restaurant.
Happy time: The people featured in Khor’s paintings always have the corners of their mouths tilted upward
It was impossible not to smile along with the people featured in the paintings, who have the corners of their mouths tilted upwards.
Be it the sarong-clad woman pouring a ladle of water down her long hair, the family portrait of Khor and her two sons in her parents’ sundry shop, or the Balinese woman dancing in front of the Mother Temple of Bali, each of the characters in Khor’s paintings seemed to be very contented with their lives.
But not all her paintings told a happy story.
Two of her paintings — painted four years apart — depicted the change in her feelings towards motherhood and marriage.
The first one titled “Love” had a serene and smiling woman sitting cross-legged amid plants and flower, holding a newborn in her left arm and a cactus on her right palm.
Another took on a pessimistic approach, featuring a gloomy woman buried in the soil with only her head and neck exposed.
A bird was painted on her forehead while three other birds - each carrying a face symbolising Khor’s then husband and two sons - flying next to her.
Wanting to be free: This painting reflects Khor’s misery in having to set art aside for her family.
“I got married soon after I graduated from the Malaysian Institute of Art, and gave birth to my first son. I enjoyed motherhood and envisioned a beautiful life ahead.
“Since I was preoccupied with my family, I put painting aside and did not produce any artwork for a few years.
“In the second painting, I portrayed myself as a plant (the woman buried in soil) - I couldn’t move because I needed to nurture lives. But my mind wasn’t peaceful and I needed my private time to paint.
“It was then I realised that I wanted art to be present in my life. The bird on the woman’s forehead indicated my desire to fly,” Khor, 38, from Butterworth, explained.
Her sons are now 15 and 10, hence she has more time to pursue her love for art.
Five years ago, she chanced upon a yearbook, in which the younger her scribbled a wish to travel around the world.
“It’s the wish I had almost forgotten. To make this wish come true, I decided to go for my first holiday to Bali,” she said.
She recorded the local lifestyle and culture in her sketchbook as she travelled. Since the maiden overseas trip, she had been to Cambodia, Vietnam, China and Yogyakarta in Indonesia.
During her trip to Cambodia three years ago, she came across Colours of Cambodia, an organisation founded in 2003 to introduce the arts to the children in Siem Reap.
Besides volunteering to teach there two to four times a year, Khor had also organised two art shows to raise funds for the programme.
Other than the children, another pull factor that kept her returning to Cambodia was captured in a painting titled “Seam Reap in My Eyes”.
“The scenery there reminded me of my childhood, where we chased after dragonflies, frolicked in the river and catched ‘fighting fish’,” she said.
Nature played a huge role in Khor’s paintings. Trees, plants and dragonflies in bright hues and intriguing patterns were the evidence of her creativity.
Khor, who teaches art in a centre she established in Puchong, said the children’s innocence, sincere smile and imagination inspired her painting.
This exhibition also featured some of Khor’s sketches and watercolour paintings.
The exhibition is going on till July 11 at Penang Village, Lot 8 & 9, Level 3, Great Eastern Mall, 303, Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur. Opening hours are from 11.30am to 9.30pm.For details, call 03-4257 1698.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

HoNey + StaNleY = LoVe + PeAce

‎3 yrs, "Mommy, I love you!
" 12yrs, " Mom, whatever!"
16yrs "Mom is so annoying!"
" 18yrs "I want to leave this place."
" 25yrs "Mom, you were right."
" 30yrs "I want to go to my Mom's house."
" 50yrs "I don't want to lose my Mom."
70yrs "I would give up everything for my Mom to be here with me."
♥
I miss those days you always hold my hand,
the days you always said" miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, i love you!",
the days you used to kiss my forehead, my cheeks, my nose, my lips,
the day you sqeezed in my arm and asked me to read stories for you.....

Day after day,
you growing up,
start having your own dream,
start finding your own way.....
start...waiting to fly......

Love for you is forever,
always proud of having you,
as my son.