ARTICLE FROM MADAM CHAIR MAGAZINE.
“I’ve always loved drawing… painting.” The stress of working for and being dictated to by people 9-5 for 10 years had taken its toll, she felt. Once again she knew she had to quit. Fortunately, she found an outlet through colours and shades on canvas. In two years, she had painted some 30-40 pictures and was persuaded by her partner-husband Yohan Rajan to put them on exhibition. Titled Botanica, the vibrant burst of colours was a celebration of sorts for the stressed-out soul. “I felt a great sense of freedom to be able to just paint. But I didn’t think I was ready to put my works on display. It was scary.”
But she did succumb to his suggestion in the end, and that spelled a new beginning for her, and for the many others whom she would come to nurture and manage. A neighbour’s place in Bangsar was up for rent, and she moved her studio from home to what would eventually become her first studio, TownHouse Gallery, in Bukit Bandaraya.
“After my exhibition,” which to her relief was well-received, “several local artists approached me and asked if I could represent them. I was surprised. I had no plans to be a gallery owner. Botanica was in April 2002. My next exhibition was only in October. I had no plans, no itinerary.”
But then as fate would have it, she did decide to organise exhibitions at her gallery for other Malaysian artists. “After the two shows in 2002, ”I had five in 2003, eight in 2004 and 11 in 2005.” Also in September 2005, she moved to her present location in Jalan Scott, Brickfields, renaming it Wei-Ling Gallery.
Wei-Ling Gallery itself is a work of art. Resurrected from the gutted ruins of what was her architect father Jimmy Lim’s office, it just exudes character, style and defiance that can only come with the passing of time.
Wei Ling considers herself very lucky to have her father design the gallery. Perhaps it was a healing process of sorts for him and the family. He had lost much of his valuable possessions, documents, jewellery etc. and it was “sad, sieving through the ashes to see what we could retrieve.” But the fact that the place is standing with pride, with parts of the charred beams left untouched for a sense of history after the April 2004 fire must bring much comfort. “We mustn’t throw our past away,” Lim had said. That resonated well within the gallery where the old and new have their pride of place.
You feel her sense of purpose as Wei Ling speaks about the people she manages and the work they do. She feels committed to helping serious, sincere, honest artists. People who are devoted to the arts, and not just people “who lose their focus and commitment. It is sad when that happens.”
“I believe in nurturing the stable of contemporary Malaysian artists we are fortunate to have. These are exciting times for the arts scene. Our artists are unafraid to express themselves. We’d like to think we help give them space for this freedom of expression. The freedom to challenge themselves and be better. We encourage them to explore, to take risks.”
Although she has much disdain for the obviously commercial, Wei Ling knows she must not dismiss it altogether. Commercial stunts creativity, she says, but she is striving to find the balance between art sense and commercial viability. It is the balance that the young artist and gallery owner must maintain to do justice to her artists.
“I must always find the balance. Yes we have to be practical to survive but I won’t be dictated by what sells only.
“If I don’t see sincerity in the artists, I won’t represent them, even if their works are commercially viable. I like people who push themselves,” she adds, sharing immediately how she met one such determined and talented young artist soon after her own first exhibition.
“He didn’t have enough money to take a taxi to my gallery in Bangsar .” He managed, however, to meet up with her and she was impressed enough by his huge cityscapes, that she agreed to organize his show.
“United Overseas Bank bought his works at the very first show, which was a huge success, and agreed to sponsor his second.” She is happy to report that the artist, Chin Kong Yee, has moved on since then and has had many international art exhibitions to his credit.
“I owe it to my artists to be selective. People must know we represent serious artists. There is a fine line between real and commercial, and so we have to be careful. Most true artists are true to themselves and keep on track. They stay the course.”
She says she also feels she has a responsibility to bring our artists outside of the country. “To expose them and create synergy,” she adds. That is why in December she is taking 18 Contemporary Malaysian artists to exhibit their works in well-known Pakistani sculptor, Amin Gulgee’s gallery in Karachi. This, she says, is her second batch of artists under her 18@8 annual show which began last year. “I owe it to them. Karachi, for many of these artists, will be a start to going and growing outside Malaysia.”
Wei Ling says people must know that Malaysian art is not just about sampans and pretty landscapes. “Malaysia artists have a voice. Art is emotional. It speaks to people. They have to like the work. I can’t force people to like something. Once you feel for it, then you know you must have it. You get goosebumps.”
Wei Ling is talking from experience as a collector. “I make sure I represent people whose works even I buy. Their works appreciate in value. If I don’t collect their works myself how can I expect others to buy them?” Some of her prized collections she has are works by Amin Gulgee, Bayu Utomo Radijikin,Multhalib Musa,Anurendra Jegadeva,Yau Bee Ling and her husband, Choy Chun Wei.
Wei Ling is also careful about maintaining the balance between real and commercial because of the fear that people do outgrow their purchases, as she did. “After a while, when my husband and I outgrew some of what we bought in the early years, we couldn’t resell.” That, she says, would not be a problem with the works of artists which appreciates in value over time.
Although Wei Ling’s priority is promoting works of Malaysian artists, the gallery also exhibits works of established foreign artists. Bringing in works of known foreign artists is another way of exposing our younger and starting-out artists to works beyond our shores.
Stewart MacFarlane’s Private Life oil on canvas collection adorn the walls of the gallery at the time of the interview. He is yet another old friend she represents. He had painted her when she was a student in New South Wales, and it seemed the obvious thing to do now that she has her own gallery. This is the first exhibition of the Australian artist in Malaysian and Asia.
She has also had works of Cuban artist Nelson Dominguez, Gulgee’s and a group show by India’s MF Hussain and Sunil Das in 2004.
“There’s so much excitement here now. Malaysian art is still very affordable. Normally great works by great artists are only affordable by corporations. Now is the time we must collect. We must support our art and artists.
“We must carry on developing the art industry, not just our own art gallery.”
Wei Ling’s shows are booked till 2008.
Wei-Ling Gallery is housed in No. 8, Jalan Scott, Brickfields, 50470, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Opening hours are Monday-Friday noon-7pm. Saturday/Sunday, by appointment. (03-22601106/7)
Artists who feature at Wei-Ling Gallery include:
Anurendra Jegadeva, Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Chong Choon Woon, Ng Kim Peow, Hamidi Abdul Hadi, Yusof Ghani, Izan Tahir, Ahmad Shukri Mohamed, Umibaizurah Mahir, Cheong Tuck Wai, Hamir Soib, Choy Chun Wei, Ivan Lam, Multhalib Musa, Chin Kong Yee, Wan Jamarul Imran, Amin Gulgee, Stewart MacFarlane, Yau Bee Ling
About Wei-Ling Gallery
Wei-Ling Gallery, previously known as the Townhouse Gallery was set up by Lim Wei-Ling and Yohan Rajan in a townhouse in Bukit Bandraya, Kuala Lumpur in May 2002 to showcase the works of contemporary artists in Malaysia.
The gallery represents a wide spectrum of Malaysian artists, ranging from the forefathers of Modernism in Malaysia, to young, up and coming contemporary talents. The focus of the gallery is to nurture their stable of artists, so that they gain both local and international recognition, and to keep collectors abreast about the works they are collecting from both an aesthetic and investment angle. As their main concern is to introduce collectors to works by serious artists with integrity, the gallery is extremely selective about the works and artists it represents. The gallery hosts up to twelve exhibitions a year, showcasing the works of Malaysia’s most exciting artists.
In 2004, Wei-Ling Gallery opened its doors to well-known foreign artists, and has since hosted several international shows at their space. They include solo exhibitions by the revered Cuban artist Nelson Dominguez, the renowned Pakistani sculptor Amin Gulgee, and most recently an exhibition of paintings by the celebrated Australian artist Stewart MacFarlane. It has also held group shows by some of India’s top artists including MF Hussain and Sunil Das.
In February 2007, Wei-Ling Gallery hosted a group exhibition of works by Tasmanian artists, entitled, ’From An Island South’, in collaboration with the Australian High Commission.
Following on from its goal of showcasing contemporary Malaysian art to an international audience, in December 2006, Wei-Ling Gallery embarked upon one of its most ambitious exhibitions and took the works of 18 of Malaysia’s most progressive, contemporary artists to an exhibition in Karachi, Pakistan. This momentous exhibition, entitled "18@8, Kuala Lumpur-Karachi" was held at Pakistani sculptor, Amin Gulgee’s gallery space - Amin Gulgee Gallery. The exhibition was the first of it’s kind on many levels. It was the first time Pakistan had seen such a major show of contemporary Malaysian art, and it was also the first time that such a significant show of contemporary Malaysian art had been taken abroad by a private gallery.Most recently the gallery represented Malaysia in Beijing,China with their participation in the most international art fair in Beijing,CIGE(China International Gallery Exposition).It was the first time a Malaysian gallery had shown contemporary Malaysian art in China.
The Gallery has been fortunate to work closely with numerous corporations and organizations who have supported and encouraged it in achieving its goals.