Cheah Yew Saik Biodata


	Introduction Cheah Yew Saik was born in Kedah, Malaysia in 1939. He received formal art education at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Art, Singapore and Stoke-on-Trent College of Art, England. Founder of the Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1968 and became the Principal until his retirement in 2002. He is not only an art educator but also a versatile artist well versed in many mediums. He paints in oils and watercolours, he also works in sculpture and ceramics. In recognition of his achievements in art education and his perseverance in promoting Malaysian art activities, he was awarded the certificate in the "International Who’s Who of Inter-lecture" by International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England. Education 1959–1961 Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore 1963–1965 National Diploma in Art & Design (N.D.D.), Stoke-On-Trent College of Art, England Career Achievements 1968–2002 Founder & Principal of Kuala Lumpur College of Art, Malaysia 1983–1987 President, Malaysian Watercolour Society 1984–1985 President, Nanyang Academy of Fine Art Alumni Association of Malaysia Solo Exhibitions 1982 Ceramic Solo Exhibition, Kuala Lumpur 2004 A Touch of Nature 1st Solo Painting Exhibition in Watercolour and Oil NN Gallery, Kuala Lumpur 2006 Mountain, Cloud and Ocean 2nd Solo Painting Exhibition in Oil Dong Zen Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur 2006 Nostalgia I 3rd Solo Painting Exhibition in Watercolour and Oil City Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur 2007 Nostalgia II 4th Solo Painting Exhibition in Oil City Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur 2008 Beautiful Land 5th Solo Painting Exhibition in Watercolour and Oil Alpha Utara Gallery, Penang Group Shows 1959–2008 Participated in numerous national and international exhibitions in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, Taipei, India, China, New Zealand, Belgium, Sweden, Brazil, England, Hong Kong and Jordan. 2007 1st Art Expo Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Collection National Art Gallery Malaysia, Galeri Petronas, Kedah Art Museum, Bank Negara Malaysia, Standard Chartered Bank and other commercial banks, the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts and numerous private and institutional collectors.

	Reviews Yew Saik draws from Chinese literate brush painting philosophy and asceticism, as a homage to the mountains’ eternal and monumental quality, with the play on the qi (life breath), which is often imbued in the water element. "I painted what I think and feel, not what I see, and colours are just a language. I use colours not to show colours, but as the expression and feelings," said Yew Saik. Ooi Kok Chuen Art Critic Some regions of Malaysia are still like Cheah Yew Saik’s paintings. Some of our people still eke out lives as depicted by Yew Saik. Do these people even notice the beauty of their environment? Do they find spiritual balance in their daily toil? Do occasional visitors appreciate what they witness and experience? Yew Saik does and we can share his observations in his gorgeously coloured oils and from the purity of his watercolours. What transcends the aesthetics of Yew Saik’s paintings is surely the tranquility that they quietly emanate. It is more peace for the soul than peace in the air. So perhaps, the rural folks wisely do cherish their lot in paradise. Lim Khoon Lau-Scott Art Critic His landscapes are meant for quiet contemplation. One is immediately transported into a peaceful existence. His colours are subtle and fresh, and his strokes are slender to the touch. His depiction of such diverse landscapes during the different settings of time and seasons captures not only the beauty of nature but also the sounds that nature makes. One particular image in this series is an oil painting of a white cloud that floats above the majestic and lush mountaintop. One is given a sense of expanse and infinity allowing us to enjoy the wonderful natural shapes and images that mother earth provides. His created landscapes capture the ideal spiritual essence of man’s relationship to nature. This is indeed a collection of work that presents Cheah Yew Saik at the very pinnacle of his career. Syed Nabil Syed Nahar History of Arts, BA

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