Kitty Love

I had to work yesterday and was at the NUS Cultural Centre. Actually there wasn't much to do. Feeling very bored, I popped in to the Lee Kong Chian Art Museum and ended up having a very good time browsing through five exibitions at the Museum (admission is free). These were "Modern Southeast Asian Art", "Bodies and Relationships: Selected Works of Lee Sik Khoon", "Picturing Relations: Simryn Gill & Tino Djumini", "Ways of Seeing Chinese Art" and "Responding to the Divide: David Kwo". It was the last one that I enjoyed most, for an obvious reason.

"Responding to the Divide: David Kwo"
Synopsis: From landscapes and figures to flowers and birds, David Kwo painted a variety of subjects interpreted through traditional Chinese brush techniques and Western styles. He is most famous for his portrayal of small animals, especially cats and dogs that became his hallmark.

On display are paintings influenced by Fauvism, the Bauhaus, Cubism and Abstract Expressionism. Kwo’s artistic tendency, the assimilation of Eastern and Western techniques and an integration of the artist’s varied training and influences, lasted a lifetime. Kwo sought to build a bridge between his native and adopted culture that allowed a conciliation of the two. He blended the disciplined art of calligraphic brushstrokes and composition with Western emphasis on freedom, creativity and improvisation.

David Kwo became acquainted with the first Vice-Chancellor of the Singapore university, Dato Lee Kong Chian. In 2003, he donated 105 paintings to the Lee Kong Chian Art Museum of the National University of Singapore. This exhibition features over 50 significant pieces of the late artist. Runs till 1 Dec 07.

There was a section of his paintings titled Small Animals. An extract of the section introduction: "He had a special affinity for all animals, especially cats which he became famous for. His earlier works were in classical black and white but he later experimented with bright playful colours. With ink and deft strokes of his brush, Kwo captured the essence and personalities of cats, dogs and birds." Here are his cats paintings:

Kim was an impromptu creation one summer day in 1957. A few brilliantly executed brush strokes laden with thick ink captured the silhouette and expression of the cat. Its furry body seems to be supported by a long and sinewy tail while its orange slit eyes are hauntingly provocative. After hanging it up on the wall, the artist found himself the target of the cat's relentless gaze, which never once left him. He was so overwhelmed with joy and excitement that he decided to publish copies of his painting. And so, the American public came to know and embrace Kim and its master.

Kim
1957, Ink on paper, 66 x 38 cm

In 1999, Kwo produced four paintings of cats with backgrounds of random geometric shapes in bright colours. They might remind viewers of stained glass art found in churches. Although the multiple hues brighten the entire picture, they also overwhelm the main subjects of the painting.

Three Cats with Blue Eyes
1999, Ink and acrylic on paper, 96 x 73 cm

How does one give a new face to familiar and finite subject? Kwo had been looking for inspiration in other works of art and experimenting with all possible techniques. Up to the early 1980s, Kwo's works were basically rendered in the traditional xieyi (illustrating the subject's meaning) style. From 1984, he started to experiment with colour decoration and filling the entire space. It culminated in the birth of his xieyi + abstract decorative style of expression.

Three Cats
1999, Ink and acrylic on paper, 96.5 x 71.5 cm

Apart from three works produced in the 1950s, Mimi (1983) is the earliest in the 105 donated works. A few strokes were all it took to bring to life the cat's innocence and cuteness. The cat's dark eye circles make its pair of yellow eyes exceptionally bright. It can be said that the spirit of a good work of art lies in the "dotting of the dragon's eyes".

Cat Named Mimi
1983, Ink and acrylic on paper, 28.5 x 33.2 cm

In Cats and Sparrows, a fish seems to have been completely swallowed by a black cat. A brown cat lies on the floor and is been harassed by the black cat and several sparrows. An attempt at a three-dimensional expression has been made here.

Cats and Sparrows
1992, Ink and acrylic on paper, 61 x 53 cm

I did a Google search but couldn't find an official website on David Kwo. At the Museum, I read that he was born in 1919 in Beijing, China. He spent several years in U.S. and taught briefly in Singapore. He died in 2005 of prostrate cancer, aged 86. At the ripe old age of 84, Kwo was still painting (he indicated his age on some of the paintings). I would have wanted to find out why this love for cats, whether he had any cats (if yes: how many, any gingers, what their names were, if he had a favourite), any other cat paintings etc. Too bad I can't paint/draw, otherwise I'd be so inspired to use my girls as models. I'm sticking to photography for now. I'm also keen on ceramics - just wait till I pick up the course. By the way, I took these photos with my handphone, a Sony Ericsson W810i - quality is not too bad.