Category Archives: Exhibition

Art, Exhibition, George Town, Heritage, Photography, Travel

A gift to alma mater

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Image courtesy of Lim Siang Jin

Southeast Asia’s oldest English-medium school – Penang Free School (PFS) – on Penang island, was founded in 1816.

The many luminaries who have graced its halls include Malaysian prime ministers, chief ministers, captains of industry, media titans, musicians and those in the creative and performing arts, legal eagles, religious and grassroots leaders and the list goes on.

Image courtesy of Lim Siang Jin

Over the years, many sons of PFS have given back to their alma mater in various ways.

Self-taught artist Lim Siang Jin, is one such son, whose association with PFS has ranged on various platforms.

Image courtesy of Lim Siang Jin

Until recently, the Kuala Lumpur-based Siang Jin, has been only showing his works to family and friends.

He returns to his hometown Penang this week to pay tribute to his former school.

His latest solo: “Our Legacy: Landmark Memories of Penang Free School”, starts today till Oct 3, at The Old Frees’ Association in conjunction with the school’s centenary celebrations.

The exhibition consists of 31 black-and-white prints, each with a write-up by the artist.

Image courtesy of Lim Siang Jin

Siang Jin spent some three decades deeply involved in work, mainly in publishing, communications, branding and marketing.

He was, for example, a founder director of The Edge. He went on to head the media business of Nexnews Bhd that owned the business weekly and theSun.

His website says that in all these endeavours, he continued to take an active interest in the “backroom”, in the production and creative processes of the business.

“Like his art, his work, from publishing to management, is girded by the ideas of Quality, Timing and Aufhebung (the idea that every new development is an inextricable combination of the old and new).”

Siang Jin held his first solo exhibition in Kuala Lumpur in October 2022 where he exhibited some 70 pieces; all these were created during the Covid years (2020-2022).

While his favourite artists, and therefore his main influences, are mainly Western-modern (notably Picasso, Dali, Van Gogh, Matisse, Miro, Klee and Kandinsky), he continues to innovate.

This is especially apparent in the digital-analog creative space where he combines his experience in painting, photography and media production.

Image courtesy of Lim Siang Jin

(“Our Legacy: Landmark Memories of Penang Free School”, will be showcased from 10am-5pm at The Old Frees’ Association, 41 Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 George Town, Penang)

And the gifting continues …

The interactive Free School Guide is available in PDF form. Just click on the subheadings to access the system, and forward all these to people who may be interested in Penang Free School. The 10 sets of “Explore!” questions are to draw them to different parts of the Guide.

(Another gift to his alma mater by Lim Siang Jin and schoolmate SS Quah)

https://ssquah.blogspot.com/2023/10/free-school-guide-launched.html?m=1

(24/2/2024 – update from SiangJin)

I had my second solo, “Our Legacy: Landmark Memories of Penang Free School”, last September at The Old Frees’ Association in Penang in conjunction with the OFA’s Centenary. I am pleased to inform that I will have it in Kuala Lumpur too. The following are the details:

Date: March 1-31, 2024
Venue: Jin’s Art Gallery, Unit A-3-17, Centrio Pantai Hillpark, 1 Jalan Pantai Murni, 59200 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: Weekends 10am to 5pm. Weekdays by appointment (please call 019 2219680)

Exhibition, George Town, Heritage, Media, Photography, Style, Travel

Over Penang and more …

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For those of us blessed to receive his morning greetings with images of Penang or any place David ST Loh travels to, the world takes on an amazing and refreshing view.

That’s because when this photojournalist takes you along on his journeys, he shows you completely different angles of places you may even be living next to, but never quite appreciated before.

And so it was last year with his ‘Over Penang Photography Exhibition’ during the George Town Festival, where those who visited, were given a visual treat of Penang via drone photography.

A natural progression to the exhibition is about to be unveiled next week.

A coffee table book “Over Penang” will be available from July 1 and here’s a blurb from the book penned by my dear friend Bettina Chua Abdullah …

“Here is a singularly new perspective of a vibrant, historical and fascinating Penang: captured by an eye in the sky that whirred over lands where hundreds of years ago scattered souls formed communities and built lives. Here is what an island of enterprise and toil, of majesty and enchantment looks like, from way up where the air currents flow. Each image is accompanied by a long-form text that brings intimacy to the scale and lends depth to the subject. Skimming clay-baked rooftops and cacophonous processions, each page of Over Penang is photojournalist David ST Loh’s unique view on his much-loved island home.”

The pages from the new publication found in this blog post, have been generously supplied by David as a curtain-raiser to the book, which will serve as yet another great souvenir of Penang one can treasure and/or gift to Penangites at heart.

Congratulations and thank you David Loh, for raising the bar (yet again) in taking the promotion of Penang to a whole new level!

(Over Penang will be available at all reputable bookstores in Malaysia and Singapore from 7 July, 2019. Please check back with this post on how you can place your online orders after 31 July 2019. If you are visiting Penang or blessed enough to live on this island, pop over to Hikayat at 226, Lebuh Pantai, George Town and grab a copy or more!)

Exhibition, George Town, Photography, Travel

We (should all) Care

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A photo exhibition promoting awareness of the untiring work of the Penang Hospice Society will take place on the afternoons of Nov 11th and 22nd, 2018 at the foyer of the Eastern & Oriental Hotel’s Grand Ballroom.

Melbourne-based photographer Karyn Leong is back in Penang to help showcase the efforts of Penang Hospice Society, in the care and support of seriously and terminally ill patients. 

“My aim,” says the trained nurse, “is to capture in these photographs: precious moments, caring gestures, everyday life, in a sensitive, considerate way.“

“I wish to honour the patients’ families and carers, and remind the viewer of our shared humanity, and the fact that disease can affect us all either personally or by touching someone we love, at any time in our lives. The patient is still loved and loving, still part of their family unit. 

“My sincere and utmost thanks to each of the patients for allowing me into their lives for this short time.

“Most importantly I wish to show that as a society, We Care.

“I also wish to acknowledge the hard work of the caring team including the Doctors, Staff and Committee of the Society and especially the Nurses who care so respectfully and professionally for the patients and the families. Special regards to Nurses Shakila, Kalavathi, Molly and Subaahsini,” adds Leong.

Hospice care involves the patient remaining at home with physical care given by family members, with regular visits by the nurse, who guides and supports the patient and the family carer, providing advanced nursing care to alleviate the patients suffering, monitoring and adjusting pain relief and other medications, provision of appropriate necessary medical equipment, physiotherapy, wound management, physical assessment and referral to doctor or hospital if treatable conditions arise, emotional support of the patient and carers and supporting and guiding the patient and the family at the end of life. 

Nurses are available on call if needed in an emergency by the family. Where possible each nurse covers a specific area with continuity of care for the patient’s and families.

Leong will be donating these photographs to the patients and the nurses, as a gift, something that they can feel good about, and eventually become a very precious memory in years to come. 

(Three images but one are courtesy of Karyn Leong)

Welcome back, Karyn!

https://kcleong.photography/

#karynleong #cancer #photoexhibition #penang #penanghospicesociety #wecare #kcleongphotography #weshouldallcare