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October, 2009A recap of 2008 This year went by so quickly, it wasn't funny at all. But the good news is that there was plenty of sculpture making during those months. Most of it took place at Fahcheong's alma mater, the National University of Singapore.
One could say it was a year spent on a labour of love, a project to give back to an institution that had nurtured him albeit for a short three years of his life.
Visitors to the NUS's Alumni House at the Kent Ridge campus can now see the results - three sculptures in very different media of stone, metal and wood. On the approach to the Alumni House, you will notice large granite rocks with bronze plaques that tell the history of the university -- this is the Heritage sculpture. In the courtyard, five stainless steel rings describe in waves and a circle a Confluence of graduates who are sent forth into the world and welcomed home when they return to the Alumni House. Indoors, a large wooden panel, constructed of all kinds of wood and framed in with large teak logs, form the backdrop for giving recognition to the many people - alumni, faculty, patrons - without whose support the university could not begin to function.
It was a tremendous amount of work, but if you were to ask the artist, he would probably say that his most satisfying time was when he mentored students and staff of various faculties as they strove to create 3-dimensional representations of what their work and studies were about.
September, 2007 -- At long last, some more news.
A special moment It was a proud moment for Dr. Tan Kheng Lian, daughter of the late Tan Sri Tan Chin Tuan, when she received a special jade salmon memento on behalf of the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation, of which she is the current chairman. The foundation, named after her philanthropist father, had made a gift of S$29 million to the National University of Singapore in 2005. The presentation was made by Singapore President S. R. Nathan at a special evening of honour on 29 May 2006, at the University Hall. Romp frozen Romp, the three bronze children on Okanagan Lake, take on a really cold and frozen aspect this winter. The sculpture was severely vandalised and had to be removed for a while for repairs. They have since been put back in place, much to the satisfaction of Penticton residents who missed seeing them play on the rocks. Here's hoping they will be left to play undisturbed, whatever the weather or time of year!
February, 2006 -- Haha.com in Vietnam
Fun and laughter in Vietnam Inspired by what he saw around him - Vietnam's green countryside, the friendly people - Fahcheong created his latest marble sculpture called ha-ha.com. It has all the hallmarks of a Chong Fahcheong sculpture - it is whimsical, yet a thoughtful reflection upon our modern-day society, a site-specific and material-dictated creation.
June, 2005 -- Two projects challenge Fahcheong's ingenuityNo sooner had Fahcheong installed his trio of figures in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, Singapore, than he immersed himself in two new projects that consumed his time and attention for the rest of 2004 and much of 2005. A world of fantasy in books Four children in a serene setting of bamboo greenery, absorbed in their books - this is a sculpture created for the new National Library of Singapore building. The operative word here is "fantasy" -- the four children, all done in bronze, are in various poses, reading; you might wonder why they are perched on marble rocks, reading, but do the children care? No, they are lost in their fantasy worlds because, says Fahcheong, "anything can happen when you read!" The fantastical is given shape in the carving of the rocks into all sorts of nature forms. The marble comes from the hills of Ipoh, Malaysia. This is the first time that Fahcheong has explored marble from this area, and to judge by the results of this sculpture, he'll be returning to Ipoh for more. Salmon life cycle inspires
For a bit of R and R... In the midst of a hectic schedule of travelling between Canada, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia necessitated by work on the two projects, Fahcheong took a week off in June to slow down the pace of his life... right down to a speed of 4 mph on the Llangollen Canal in Wales. There he joined friends from Canada on a narrow boat for a much-needed rest before resuming work.
March, 2004 -- What has Fahcheong been up to lately?Romping in the Okanagan...
...with a Girl in the Cloud
Not forgetting Thailand
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What do salmon and National University of Singapore graduates have in common? This question was put to the artist by NUS president and vice chancellor, Prof. Shi Choon Fong, and the answer to this toughie lies in the latest sculpture Fahcheong has created for the university. Like salmon, the NUS graduate is sent out into the world, but he/she never forgets the river of his origins but will come home and give back in return. And so the cycle continues.
