Article by Richard Noyce for Printmaking Today, 2011.

Article written by Sharon Chin for ''Facts or Fictions" solo exhibition 2006.

“White Field”, Shuttle corks, wire, plaster. Approx. 25m x 25m, 2013. (For Kuala Lumpur Sports & Games Expo 2013)

Between Real and Imagined by Lim Chia Ying

Saturday December 16, 2006 Between real and imagined By LIM CHIA YING The living environment and nature has a way of inspiring Kim Ng to explore the details of daily situations in such, that they evoke a powerful sense of familiarity. Ng brilliantly captures images of everyday occurrences he encounters. The pieces framed in panels to mimic the Chinese scrolls are some of the fine pieces by Ng. And through the captured moment, he re-examines, manipulates, and transforms the physical experience onto paper that is, oh so familiar, that you and I can simply relate to. The 41-year-old is currently showcasing some 53 artworks in his latest exhibition, his second solo to date, entitled Fact or Fiction, described as an intimate and engaging glimpse into how he assesses daily happenings within the modern world. “My subject matters are very much related to the living environment. The objects encountered in our surroundings are all part of life and things we are very familiar with. “This environment we are living in, it's pretty important to everyone. Some scenes that you’ll see are very familiar to us, but they are things we didn't notice or become obvious to us. “It's like they are planted in our sub- conscious mind, submerged inside, so when you happen to see the scene, it brings up the memory that you have seen it some- where before, although you don't know why and how the image actually came about,” said Ng. The title fact or fiction, said the intuitive printmaker, was coined to denote the real and the unreal, images that are true or from his sub-conscious mind. Various techniques and materials are used to create the images, from oil-based ink, water-based paint, silkscreen, bitumen, to even plastic bags! Images entitled Plot II and Plot III show plastic bags in their most natural form, which had been pre-pressed, generating the effect of a burnt plastic. “I personally like the effect because it's as if it has become another object altogether. 'Why I chose to use plastic bag is because it is an object that you are unable to avoid, somewhat indispensable because you have it at home and see it at shopping malls. “This indirectly tells of attachment and that, humans are very much attached to things like family, and commodities like hand phones, which we practically can't live without these days,” said the soft-spoken Ng. The piece Scene 2, 2006, done on silkscreen, woodblock, and bitumen, tells of Ng's frequent encounter with the Pudu Raya bus station, where he travels weekly to his family in Ipoh. It deals with how he views the present Pudu Raya with the past, and how things have changed with the passing of time. A lot of his works are in relation to how Ng feels between the present and the absent, of what he experiences now and what is void, which is about loss, with just reminiscences that has become intangible in mind. “This series is also very much linked to my childhood memories. We used to live in a typical kampung house of zinc roof and timber structure. “But, the whole place changed. Old things are gone and new ones have to be built. “I've no photo recall and all these have become part of my memory,” said the Johor-born Ng. He had studied printmaking, art installation, and sculpture in Britain. For his first solo exhibition, he used a lot of real plants, which he then flattened with the pre-press. The works this time, he said, are more complicated and symbolic, as they are a reflection of how he views the world and associates himself with the complexity of the fast-changing society and environment. “But it's important to not copy things straight from your surroundings. I always carry my digital camera when travelling, but that's just for record sake. “It how you take the image and interpret the matter, your way! “That's why I think a printmaker shouldn't be too conservative by sticking to just one or two types of techniques. We should be inventive so that our works are visually stimulating and try to present objective images in subjective manner!” said Ng. The exhibition runs until Dec 28 at Wei-Ling Gallery in Brickfields. For more details, call 03-2260 1106 / 017-887 7216.

"Link", constructed from hand-printed colour and marbling effects on paper, old clothes. Approx. 1-7x133x2.5cm, 2012.

 

 

 

Group of works for MIDTERM, a five man show at Shalini Ganendra Fine Art, Malaysia.

''Beyond Reach'', water-based paint, pencil, drawing collage, silkscreen print, varnish with graphite powder, 72x72.4cm, 2012

''Distance'', water-based paint, silkscreen print, pencil, printed collage, 72x72.4cm, 2012

''Walk Along'', water-based paint, pencil, silkscreen print, woodblock print collage, emboss paste, 72x72.4cm, 2012

''Release'',water-based paint, collage, pencil, silkcreen print, varnish with graphite powder, 72x72.4cm, 2012

''Walking in the Same Direction as Others'', water-based paint, printed collage, silkscreen print, pencil, graphite powder with varnish, 152.5x147, 2012

''Untitled'' (81), watercolour on paper, 20x29.5cm, 2012

''Untitled'' (82), silkscreen & object print, collage, pencil & graphite powder with varnish on paper, 20x29.5cm, 2012

''Untitled'' (84), pencil, silkscreen & object print, collage, drawing ink, graphite powder with varnish on paper, 20x29.5cm, 2012

''Untitled'' (86), silkscreen & object print, bitument, drawing ink,  collage and emboss paste, 20x29.5cm, 2012

''Untitled'' (85) object print & watercolour on paper, 20x29.5cm, 2012

''Untitled'' (89), watercolour, pencil, bitumen, collage,  graphite powder with varnish on paper, 20x29.5cm, 2012

''Untitled'' (90), silkscreen, charcoal, bitumen on paper, 20x29.5cm, 2012

''Untitled'' (83), Colour thread, object print, and graphite powder with varnish, 20x29.5cm, 2012