Chin Wan Kee has ‘chipped away’ over 30 years of his career in the sculpture-making field. As an art student, he actually majored in painting, but after graduation, he followed his passion in creating sculptures. Is on at the Creative Space, National Visual Arts Gallery, No 2 Jalan Temerloh, off Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur till Oct 30. The gallery opens daily, 10am-6pm.
“Sculpturing is meditative. It seizes me and gets me in a position to experience the truth and the freedom in life. To me, making a sculpture is also a very personal thing, allowing me to examine my roots and my own identity,” says Chin, who holds deep philosophical views when it comes to this art form.
Chin’s creative drive is not about a desire for fame or glory. Instead, for him, it is out of love for his art and a desire to express. His home and studio in smalltown Rawang in Selangor give him the necessary inspiration and environment to make art at his own pace.
Chin doesn’t rush out his sculptures. He prefers to take his time, with a dozen sculptures produced a year. His meticulous efforts, thankfully, have not gone unnoticed. Through the years, many of his works have been displayed in group exhibitions – at home and abroad. He has only had two previous solo shows.
Chin’s sculptures, some with fractured faces, are mostly of human figures in quiet reflection. The bird motifs remain the artist’s signature element. “I have been exploring more about the people around me since I began to draw and paint. The basis for my sculptural project is to study human behavior,” explains Chin.
Through his sculptures, says Chin, he has become more aware of the role an individual plays in life. “I want to know more about the way people think, their values, their beliefs, and why they do what they do,” he concludes.
