A Roaming Dragon In His
Element
The Ink World of Nai Swee
Leng
Nai Swee Leng is an
important representative of the contemporary Ink Painting of Singapore .
He inherited the fine
traditions of the Shanghai School , integrated that of the Lingnan School and found his
footing in Nanyang ( South-east Asia ) . An expert in ink art , he expresses his thoughts
and unveils his emotions by means of flourishing brushwork and brilliant color . He has
achieved a certain ease of expression in varied subjects and impresses with a weighty ,
solid and magnificent painting style that establishes him as an outstanding artist , not
only of Singapore but also of the ink painting field outside China .
Because of the
historical and geographical reasons , the ink painting of Singapore originated from the
Shanghai , where the island's pioneers had studied , while their sucessors were influenced
by the Lingnan School masters based in Hong Kong . These two school converged to become
the mainstream ink styles of Singapore and Malaysia , with large numbers of followers .
In his early years ,
Swee Leng had srtist Fan Chang Tien - one of the pioneer painters of Singapore , as his
mentor . Mr Fan had studied painting with Wu Changshuo - the Shanghai School master - in
Shanghai . Swee Leng had the advantage of formal tutelage by Mr Fan , being simultaneously
inspired by See Hiang To , another pioneer Singapore ink painter , from their acquaintance
. During these years , he immersed himself in the art of Jinshi (Metal-and-Stone)
calligraphy with intensive copying of antiquated works to lay a solid foundation in
brushwork . Years later , he got to know Choa Shao-an - the Hong Kong based leader of the
Lingnan School , whom he visited on several occasions , to incoporate the freshness
typical of this style into his work . Not satisfied , Swee Leng went on to pick up from
Japanese painter , Takeuchi Seihoo , a sparkling ink-and-color style . Such a rounded
exposure , coupled with nearly four decades of unceasing effort in innovation ,
established for him a substantial and lively painting style that , while traceable to
traditional influence , is at the same time unmistakably distinctive .
Excellence and Delight
in Art
The early style of Swee Leng
inevitably displays a strength typical of the syle of Wu Changshuo . The Shanghai leader
is hailed as a vital figure in the transition of Chinese painting from ancient to
contemporary style . He advocated blending the old with the new art , stressed an
antiquated and effortless visual effect and most of all , remarkably evolved a new
aesthetics of Chinese painting with the influence of the Metal-and-Stone calligraphy and
classical culture . He is regarded as the epitome of the Chinese artistic tradition while
blazing a trail in the field .
The early pieces of
Swee Leng boast qualites of stability in brushwork and fine ink , yet still retain the
dynamic energy characteristic of a young practitioner . He was then engrossed in imitation
to absorb as much of the skills of art masters as he could .
From the 1980s onwards
, Swee Leng's work underwent a subtle change . His mastery of ink-and-brush reached
maturity ; the raw energy of youth was mellowed somewhat ; his brushstokes became more
weighty and his composition , more inventive with the principle of contrast for dramatic
tension .
In recent years , the
artist has ventured deeper into the search for the creative impulses that drove such
giants as the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou , Shi Tao , Xu Wei and others . In attempting
to connect himself spiritually with these figures immortalized for boldness and
individually , he has moved on with greater changes . He now displays an untrammeled
flavour in his imagery , whose lasting appeal is enhanced by carefree brushwork and rich
nuances of ink . The work of this period is marked by an energy embodied in deeply
engraved strokes and pervasive liveliness in his painting.Brushwork that boasts the
aesthetics of "quietness , sobriety , moistness and weightiness" marks his
latest style .
The transformation
from imitation to change and finally to an ultimate personal style are the three necessary
stages of the development of an artist . It is akin to the three stages of spiritual
cultivation in Zen . The trouble is , many artists strive too hard in order to bring about
changes and breakthroughs , only to lose their direction in illusion . Not Swee Leng
though , who has put in nearly four decades of assiduous work .
His is a living
example of the sucess of an artist who " gets in with the biggest effort and out with
the greatest courage " - a phrase attributed to master painter Li Keran on the
challenge faced by an artist in breaking out of conventional mould . Like some of his
predecessors , Swee Leng has been effortlessly nourished by the law (Tao , way) of nature
and has attained artistic enlightenment by embracing it . By doing so , he is in firm
grasp of beauty and totally ease in self-expression .
This state of
creativity is a testimony of the saying by Zhuang Zi the philosopher that " great
skill is familiarity with nature's way " and one by Confucius that " there is
delight and fun in the engagement of art " . It also parallels the highest realm ( of
spiritual cultivation ) in Buddhism . But most importantly , it is years of hard work that
account for Swee Leng's achievement .
Simplicity and
Freshness
Upon viewing the work of
Swee Leng , it is not difficult to discern his strength : a mastery of ink art .
Ink is the most
fundamental tool of the Chinese painter and the element that distinguishes the art of
Chinese painting .
By means of this
monochrome mode , traditional artists of China represented with ease the effects of the
dimension , distance between objects , their depth , light and darkness , mist and rain
and most of all , emptiness and fullness .
Ink liberates its partner -
the brush . Thanks to ink , the Chinese brush is capable of diaplaying myriad techniques ,
setting the artist free to ventilate and so gives the art if Chinese painting full play in
its artistry .
There are basic
principles governing the creation of a wide range of ink tones . The secret lies in the
techique of mixing water with ink . When this is right , the ink tones produced exude
radiance , freshness and flavour . With the application of a suitable degree of pressure
on the brush , the inked image in a painting appears taut , crisp and clean .
The giants of contemporary
Chinese painting , among them Huang Binhong and Li Keran , were experts in ink who put
high value on the mastery of ink .
Swee Leng is an expert in the
art of ink in contemporary Singapore art .
The ink in his paintings
displays an amazing range of polychromatic effects with layers of visual interest . It is
rich in tone and has a flourishing imagery . The ink in Swee Leng’s painting seems to
have a breath of its own that permeates the whole composition , investing it with a vigor
.
That is precisely the
strength of Swee Leng : outwardly his ink may look casual but in reality , it has been
executed with deliberation . Under his brush , the ink may appear light or heavy , dense
or sparing , dry or moist . Hidden underneath these splashes is a current of breath (or
one might call it energy) which flows across the painting to animate it .
Besides being skilled in ink
, Swee Leng is also a remarkable colorist . He daringly applies bright and brilliant
colors to offset the sobriety of ink . The sparkling hues in his work enliven the
composition and add a touch of gracefulness to it . Color pigments and ink complement each
other wonderfully, injecting an animated spirit into his imagery.
Seasoned Brushwork With Lasting Appeal
In Chinese painting , artists
who excel in ink do so in brushwork . This is because technique in the execution of the
brush determines the visual effect of ink . Huang Binhong once said that a good painting
invariably displays rhythm and energy ; the former is the result of sensible ink skill
while the latter , that of excellent brushwork .
Swee Leng’s brush style
can be traced to the Shanghai school. He has been steeped in several ancient calligraphy
styles including the Stone-drum Style , the Han-dynasty Clerical Style and the style of
the Six Dynasties Period . His strokes are deeply ingrained in the paper and energize his
composition : he is a painter with a powerful visual language . This style of brushwork is
marked by a softness hidden within a hard appearance . The visual impact of the ink such a
style produces is moist , luxuriant and not dry . The Chinese call this a " seasoned
" style .
It is from these strengths
that paintings by Swee Leng can be stately and graceful at the same time . They have a
seasoned and carefree ambience about them , while the composition is held together by two
underlying forces : action and inaction . The dynamics of these two opposing forces
creates tension in the work and gives it a timeless appeal . " A fine painting ,
regardless of its time , must first have an everlasting appeal , " says Swee Leng .
His own work is a testimony to this comment .
Classic Elegance Matched by Tropical Flavour
Bird , flower , bamboo and
orchid - subjects that are sketch-based as well as highly expressive mediums - constitute
an important part of Swee Leng’s repertoire .
The Bird-and-Flower category
- a category of Chinese painting which comprises flower , bird , insect , fish , plant and
rock - have occupied varied positions in the painting and calligraphy traditions .
Plum blossom , orchid ,
bamboo and rock in particular have featured in painting as symbols of moral cultivation to
the scholar painters in history , and was a mainstream subject through the dynasties .
From the Five Dynasties and
Northern Song on , Bird-and-Flower fell far behind the Landscape category , right up to
mid Qing , when the latter started to decline due to abuse of symbolism . On the other
hand , with the changes in social structure , Bird-and-Flower, with its carefree and
sponteneous aesthetics , returned with a new lease of life to become a vehicle of
unconventional experimentation . Led by the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou and the Shanghai
School painters , it enjoyed a boom and has since remained a main category .
Swee Leng’s painting of
flower , bird, orchid and bamboo have undergone stylistic changes in three stages . In the
first , it is marked by strong ink flavour and a mood of sobriety . In the second , he
favours the fragmentation of composition in search of a liberated mode of expression ,
placing his objects in contrast and steering away from the Shanghai School . At the same
time , bolder colours are applied to fruit , vegetable and plant and with varied
brushstrokes as well as a unique Nanyang flavour from local subjects . In his recent work
, he displays a greater degree of relaxation with emphasis on the principles of action and
inaction , concentration and dispersion .
Two examples may serve to
illustrate the points mentioned above . In " Bamboo And Rock in Mist " , the
bamboo that sways in the wind (action or movement) is placed in the foreground while the
huge rock (inaction) , behind it , hence a dramatic tension . The cluster of bamboo is set
in an upward direction while the rock , downward , creating a " pull " of forces
in the structure . In the second piece entitled " Bamboo and Sparrow " , a large
cluster of bamboo sweeps across the upper portion of the paintinglike pelting rain while
beneath it , a bunch of sparrows frolic on the ground : putting the stormy scene on top in
sharp contrast against the peaceful one below .
The freshness and vitality in
Swee Leng’s imagery reflects his experience with nature and art and embodies a new
personal vision of the traditional art form .
Enchanting Views from a New Peak
Swee Leng takes freely from
tradition and opens up new vistas to old conventions . " A roaming dragon in
its element " is an apt phrase to describe his achievements . Looking at the heights
of achievement by the Nanyang Ink Painters his accomplishment stands out like new peak
that offers enchanting views ; and it will be from this point that he will make his ascent
to greater heights .
The new millennium is just
round the corner . When one looks back on the century-long development of the art of
Chinese painting , one realizes that those who are equipped with the double advantages of
a solid fountation in tradition and innovative spirit are comfortably placed to rediscover
and re-develop the essence of the tradition . It is an important path that is paved with
hope . On this path , artist Swee Leng has left indelible imprints of enchanting views .
By Toh Lam Huat
Editor-in-Chief , Shin Min Daily News ,
Singapore.