In conjunction with “A Retrospective Chew Teng Beng – Life, Art and Writings” exhibition, Malaysian artist Dr Chew Teng Beng and curator Tan Sei Hon conducted two talks in December 2023.
On 9 December 2023, a pre-exhibition talk was held online where Dr Chew shared his artistic journey spanning over seven decades, starting from the 1950s. He mentioned the stories behind his creations while showcasing the artworks on screen.
Dr Chew revealed that his inspiration comes from the wonders of nature. In his view, a true artist should step out of their comfort zone and continually pursue the unknown to stay creative throughout their life. As a result, he is always in the process of exploring new knowledge.
Later on 24 December 2023, another talk titled “A Conversation between Artist and Curator’” was held at Wisma Kebudayaan SGM. Mr Tan explained the true definition of art and provided a background of Dr Chew’s art career.
Dr Chew then spoke about his pioneering work in making papers, using banana and pineapple leaves fibres as raw materials to reduce waste. He also shared his experience researching and giving lectures on his unique method of making paper.
