Malaysian, b. 1934 Untitled, 1970 Signed and dated KamKow Choong 1970 on the overlap Acrylic on canvas in 16 parts 48 1/8 x 48 1/4 inches (122.2 x 122.6 cm) Canvas is dusty and soiled intermittently throughout; would benefit from a cleaning. Small losses to all four corners. An area of darker staining with droplets of unknown substance, along the inner right edge of the top left corner panel, and on the top panel second from left, and the panel beneath it. Some scattered minor pinhead-sized dots of red substance throughout. An area of scuffing and associated craquelure on panel second row from bottom, far right.
Malaysian, b. 1934 Untitled, 1970 Signed and dated Kamkow Choong 1970 on the reverse Acrylic on three joined canvases 69 x 51 inches (175.3 x 129.5 cm) Scattered edge wear with losses. Upper small panel shows slight stretcher bar impressions, most apparent in blue pigment. Two faint white scuffs in green pigment. Center canvas shows a paint crack along edge, most apparent along dark blue pigment edge. Some darker surface scuffs and a dark drip line at lower left. A small loss at edge in light blue pigment at center right. A loss at center right corner in light blue pigment. Some small clusters of paint cracking in green pigment at lower right. Some dark smudges or stains at lower canvas in dark blue pigment. General surface grime throughout.
Attributed to Choong Kam Kow, Malaysian, born 1934, a mid century watercolor on paper landscape painting. Signed by the artist lower right in Chinese and English. Framed. Additionally inscribed to the back. Circa the mid 20th century. Vintage Landscape Paintings And Asian Art Collectibles.
Born in 1934 in Ipoh, Dr. Choong Kam Kow is a contemporary artist famous for not only his captivating artworks, but is also a highlyrespected academician as a leading art and design educationist. His pieces often include cultural components and norms of the Chinese community in Malaysia. The Kinta series comprises Choong’s works in the 1960’s to which he described as a period of exploring, experiment and searching. In the series, he narrated a story of his childhood, depicting scenes of villages and tin mines in Perak. Colours used for this series exudes nostalgia as he shares a piece of his past with his viewers.
The Kinta series comprises Choongâs range of works in the 1960âs. He described it as a period of exploring, experiment and searching. He channeled his inspiration from art masters such as Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng and Zao Wou-Ki to produce the series, working with oil, watercolour and Chinese ink via expressionistic art approach. It was a time in which he narrated a story of his childhood, depicting scenes of villages and tin mines in Perak. His choice of colours used for this series sets the nostalgic theme as he shares with his viewers a piece of his past.
Born in 1934 in Ipoh, Dr. Choong Kam Kow is a prominent contemporary artist well known not only for his enchanting works, but is also a highly-respected academician as a leading art and design educationist. His works often echo the cultural components and norms of the Chinese community in Malaysia. He portrays the cultural practices and values in the contemporary life of the Chinese community through the use of silkscreen techniques and acrylic colours in the form of visual symbolisms. Academic background Choong started his career as an artist and an art teacher by participating in a teacherÕs training scheme and was awarded the position of a qualified primary school teacher, teaching mainly art subjects. He later spent four years in Taiwan studying western and oriental fine art and gained a BA in Fine Art from the National Taiwan Normal University in 1961. He was the first Malaysian fine artist to be awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in the USA at the Pratt Institute in New York where he obtained a masterÕs degree in Fine Art in 1968. At this time, he was also appointed as head of the Art Department of the United Nations International School in New York. In 1969, he returned to Malaysia and joined UiTM (formerly known as Institute Technology Mara) where he was known as a notable figure for his art knowledge and expertise. His academic career continued until his retirement in 1989, head of the Fine Arts Department. In 1980, he was again awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and became an ACLS-Fulbright Research Fellow until 1981. In 2006, he was conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Arts by Robert Gordon University, Scotland for his contribution in education and achievements in fine arts. Educational legacy Being academically successful, Choong became the dean of Fine Arts at LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts in Singapore in which he played a role in revamping the structure of the school before he returned to Malaysia in 1994. This was when he dedicated his time fully to his art. His attraction towards academia did not hinder him from being the vice president of the Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA) in 1995, a position he held for five years and was appointed the president in 2000. It was during his years at MIA that he sought to enhance and develop the teaching techniques, syllabus and the administrative structure of the art subject. He fully utilised his overseas experience and knowledge to ensure that what was taught to students with regard to the arts remain fresh and current so that aspiring artists do not fall behind. From the rationale, prerequisite, description of the course, weekly syllabus, assignment assessment method, evaluation system to the assigned credits, he ensured the restructuring of all these aspects. He revamped eight departments and over 400 subjects. Choong has also been instrumental in developing international links with universities in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and China. ChoongÕs works of art ChoongÕs works are often synonymous with symbolisms. His exposure to nature and his upbringing influenced his artistic talent from a very young age and these influences are highly visible in his works. During his time in New York in the 1960Õs and early 80Õs, he was highly influenced by abstract expressionism, pop art, hardedge, conceptualism and international art movements. He exhibits the connection between traditional values and contemporary life, depicting the co-existence between cultural identity and modernisation. Having been brought up in a multi-racial and multi-cultural society, he was exposed to ample cultural symbols of the diversity in Malaysia and uses these elements to transform them into art symbols in his creative art pieces. His notable works include the saga of the following four series - Festival series, Rhythm of Growth series, Rockscape and Earthscape Series. These series are fused with hidden traces of ChoongÕs philosophic thinking and metaphoric content of cultural symbols, amalgamated with the realisation of sensuality, sensitivity, thought, imagination and distinctive artistic quality. The Kinta Series The Kinta Series comprises ChoongÕs range of works in the 1960Õs. He described it as a Òperiod of exploring, experiment and searchingÓ. He channelled his inspiration from art masters such as Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng and Zao Wou-Ki to produce the series, working with oil, water colour and Chinese ink via expressionistic art approach. It was a time in which he narrated a story of his childhood, depicting scenes of villages and tin mines in Perak. His choice of colours used for this series sets the nostalgic theme as he shares with his audience a part of his past memory. He brings forth a feeling of reminiscence with a gush of mystique and wonder to those who set their eyes on his pristine pieces. You canÕt help but be in awe with the alluring way he strokes his brush and expresses his story with remarkable power and aesthetic impact. He successfully presents the contrasts and cohabiting between East and West, tradition and modernity as well as nature and humanity. Achievements and accolades Choong has had 18 solo exhibitions to date at various prominent venues around the world including the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Guangdong Museum of Art Japan, Taipei Fine Arts Museum and Taiwan Museum of Art. He has also joined nearly a hundred of other local and major exhibitions to add in his repertoire. He has won competitions such as first place in drawing and second place in watercolour at the Virginia Art Show, second place in landscape in the PNB Art Competition and third place in the Association of Banks Art Competition. Having gained international recognition, art devotees will be able to find his works in numerous art museums including the National Art Gallery Malaysia, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Singapore Art Museum, Taiwan Museum of Art, Frederikshavn Museum of Art, Taipei Fine Arts Museum and Guangdong Museum of Art, and private collectors.
DESCRIPTION: Choong Kam Kow (Malayasian, b. 1934). Watercolor and ink on paper. Scene of boats. Probably from Kinta Series. Signed lower right. Matted with frame. MEASUREMENTS: Sight 17-3/4" x 11-5/8". Overall with frame 26-3/4" x 20-3/4". CONDITION: No defects noted to art. Wear to frame.
Choong Kam Kow Korean b. 1934 The Tropical Sun, 1968 Signed Kam K Choong and dated 68 (ll), inscribed as titled on the stretcher Oil on canvas 34 x 27 5/8 inches C Estate of Barbara Anspach
In recent years, more works from Dr Choong Kam Kow’s earlier series have surfaced, ditto his Kinta Series, especially after his major Retrospective accorded by the National Art Gallery in 2014-2015, which tremendously raised his profile in the public sphere as well as detailing his life achievements as art administrator and educationist, artist and activist, sculptor and printmaker, international art organizer and art-seminar evangelist. Time was when his Chinese roots took greater hold with his flexing of mixed Chinese ink works with Western theoretical norms, singing praises of places around his hometown Ipoh, although after that he had an Expressionist Ink Painting Series. This work, though blotted with thickets of trees and other vegetation, exudes of transparent washes and sparing defing outlines. It was done just before his departure to New York City, where he completed his Masters in Fine Art at the Pratt Institute in 1968, and where his works rank with the best of American AbEx at that time.His curriculum vitae is of encyclopedic proportions. In twin ‘time-capsule’ – Academia: CEO of Malaysian Institute of Art, head of La Salle-SIA College of Art, head (Art Dept) of UN International School in New York, and longest non-Malay lecturer at Mara Institute of Technology (20 Years); Art: If American, would have been an Ab-Ex icon; Invention of Shaped Canvas, then Multi-thematic Forms; Structural like SEA Thru Series; Fabrications – Festival with paper-pulp concoctions, Rhythm of Growth, Rockscape and Earthscape, all these representing some of the most extraordinarily inventive works.
PRACTISING GONGFU 152 by 121.5cm.; 59¾ by 47¾in. signed and dated 2006 lower left; signed, titled 'Practising Gongfu' and dated 2006 on the reverse acrylic with combined techniques on canvas EXHIBITED Fukuoka, Choong Kam Kow Solo Exhibition, An Evolving Creative Journey, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan, 15 - 24 June, 2006 Singapore, 21st International Art Exhibition 2006, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore, 20 July - 13 August, 2006
