Wan Tan Mee at abstraKK

I HAD wanted to meet artist Ch’ng Kiah Kiean ever since I saw his works featured in the “WAA! Online Auction” in 2020. Hosted by the Penang Water Colour Society (PCWS) during the Covid lockdown, the auction was a creative initiative that helped keep the state’s art scene alive. Indeed, it did much to attract newcomers like me to art in Penang.

The first time I saw his works in person was at a joint exhibition with photographer Ambiga Devy. Titled Reflections and held at Temu House in Petaling Jaya, the 2023 exhibition explored a dialogue between “a body of contemporary Chinese art and Ambiga’s photographs of flower arrangements created from plants and trees she gathered during her introspective walks around Paddington and Woollahra, Sydney. The collaboration evolved through WhatsApp conversations spanning nine months in 2021”. I missed the launch and, with it, the chance to meet him.

The opportunity came in mid-June, when I was invited by June Cheong to visit Kiah Kiean’s solo exhibition, abstraKK, at her Art+ Contemporary gallery in Bangsar Village II, Kuala Lumpur. I went to his gallery talk, where he demonstrated his distinctive techniques—how he painted lines with sharpened twigs, the ink he used, and the thinking behind his process. What struck me most was how methodical and meticulous he was.

Looking around, one piece caught my eye. Executed in swift black strokes punctuated by patches of blue, the painting also made generous use of white space. I could sense playfulness—perhaps even humour—in it, as if the artist were inviting me to smile gently as I looked. Curious, I asked Kiah Kiean what it was about. His answer confirmed my impression: “Wan Tan Mee.”